Search and You Will Find
by lawslave
Summary: Jamie Reagan disappeared into thin air 25 years ago. The last place Frank Reagan and his family would ever think to find him was in his very own department.
1. Chapter 1

_Before anything else, I'm very grateful to Whumpqueen for giving me her blessing to write and post this story! I love her story 'I Once was Lost' (and recommend you read it as well) and always hoped that it would be finished someday. It prompted me to wonder about how that scenario would play out if a missing Jamie was found decades after he was kidnapped while life for the rest of the family went on just like it did on the show with both Mary and Joe gone. I tried to make this story a little different than Whumpqueen's, but the idea was all hers and again, I can't say thank you enough for her blessing to play with this concept and get it out of my head. I hope I did it justice._

Chapter 1

Police Commissioner Frank Reagan glanced up as the doors of the elevator opened onto the fourth floor of St. Victor's Hospital. His expression confirmed to all that saw him that he was not happy to be here. As hopeful as he had been for a way out of a luncheon comprised of visiting foreign dignitaries, he would have preferred to suffer through the inane pleasantries and rubber chicken over having to leave because of the news that had been quietly whispered into his ear by a member of his detail. And no one knew better than Frank Reagan as to how devastating an incident like this could be, because when an officer-down call went out over the radio, he was instantly transported back to one of the most horrible nights of his life, one three years ago when that same call went out for his very own son, Joe...another son lost, taken by another set of evil circumstances that even he could not anticipate. Joe had been gone before any of them could get to the emergency department forty feet below from where he stood right now and while every call of this nature was upsetting, ever since that day they caused a true sense of dread to settle in the pit of his stomach whenever that sort of bitter news was delivered.

Frank found his DCPI Garrett Moore waiting for him in front of the nurses station and could only assume he had better news to report considering that he'd been led up to one of the hospital's medical wards. "How's my officer?"

Garrett blew out a sigh, relieved to be saying the following words. "He's going to be okay, he got real lucky."

"I don't call getting shot being lucky, Garrett," Frank remarked while the area between his eyebrows remained wrinkled in concern.

"Maybe not, but it could have been worse, Frank. The bullet only grazed his side, more of a flesh wound," Moore explained.

"There is that," Frank exhaled.

"Yeah. Docs stitched him up and he'll spend a night in the hospital just as a precaution. The nurses are just getting him situated in his room."

Frank nodded as he felt a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. "What do we know about the shooter?"

"Matthew Shay, twenty-eight year old junkie from Queens, priors for possession, assault and armed robbery. He was holding the bodega owner at gunpoint when our guys were walking by on patrol. They went in to try and diffuse the situation, Shay was high as a kite and panicked, fired first and hit Officer Riordan. His TO, Seargent Renzulli, fired back and hit Shay in the shoulder. He's in surgery now, but the bastard got lucky in that regard too, he should make a full recovery."

"So that he can get locked up for good this time," Frank declared. There was no way this Shay character was getting a slap on the wrist for shooting one of his men.

"Amen to that," Garrett agreed.

Now came the task of visiting his injured officer, but he hated to walk into that room knowing nothing more than his officer's name. He prided himself on knowing something more about those that worked for him than just their rank and name, but with a force 35,000 strong, that was obviously impossible. Thankfully, he had people to help him with that. "What do you know about Officer Riordan? How long has he been on the force?"

Garrett was thoroughly prepared for those questions. It was one of the things he admired most about his boss - his desire to have a deeper understanding of the men and women under his command. It was too bad that frightening incidents like this prompted these impromptu reports on his officers' lives. "Under two years, Frank. Graduated at the top of his class. Single, no wife or kids. Goes by Jimmy. Renzulli said he's a great kid, real smart. He nearly had a coronary himself when he saw him go down."

Frank pursed his lips at the mention of that name. "Renzulli's a good cop. Trained my Joe too," he remarked.

It wasn't often the Frank mentioned his younger son and it caught Garrett by surprise. "I didn't realize..." he said as his brows arched up.

"You couldn't have known," Frank shrugged and looked over at the small empty waiting area before turning back to his DCPI. "Has his family been notified?"

"We tried reaching his mother in Buffalo but haven't had any success. She's the only family listed as his emergency contact. Renzulli said he's an only child, doesn't think the father was ever in the picture and he doesn't say much about the mom or anyone else back home so he couldn't offer any other suggestions on getting a hold of her. He's been partnered with him since he got out of the academy - recently came off probation - but Riordan doesn't volunteer much about his background."

Frank nodded in understanding. Despite all of the ups and downs his own family had endured over the years, they were still there for each other no matter what and God knew it sometimes felt like they'd had more bad than good to deal with. But keeping mum on the subject of family with a guy you road with every day for over a year was an indication that Officer Riordan probably hadn't been as lucky in that respect. "That's a shame. No one should be alone after something like this."

Garrett turned when he noticed the nurses leaving a hospital room down the hall. "Looks like they got him settled, Frank," he said and led the way.

Frank followed Garrett and acknowledged the officer standing guard outside of Riordan's hospital room before laying eyes on the young man reclining against the raised head of the hospital bed...and his heart stuttered for a moment. Frank remained frozen just inside the doorway, struck first by the officer's appearance. His brows furrowed at the striking resemblance to Joe - the high cheekbones, the shape of his face and then...

"Sir?" Garrett whispered in confusion when he turned and found his boss staring oddly at the wounded officer.

That drew Riordan's attention, who up until that moment had been laying back with his eyes closed, struggling to fight off the effects of the pain medication they had injected into his IV downstairs before moving him into a room. But the meds weren't enough to prevent the discomfort that came from sitting up quickly at the sight of the Police Commissioner standing in his room.

The eyes, Frank thought, they were just like Joe's - an unusual hazel with flecks of blue that he'd never seen on anyone else. Shaken by the similarities, Frank swallowed thickly and shoved all thoughts of his late son from his mind to focus on the task at hand. "At ease, Officer Riordan," he ordered gently when noticing the young man's pained grimace.

"Sir, uh, sorry, I guess I wasn't expecting to see you here," Riordan replied nervously while trying to remain partially upright or at least as much as the damn stitches would allow. He wasn't sure what the protocol was when greeting a superior with a gunshot wound to your side and assumed it was a free pass on saluting his boss but he didn't think he should slouch back against the bed either.

"Neither was I. This isn't exactly how I want to be meeting one of my newer officers for the first time, but I am relieved to be standing here speaking with you, Officer Riordan," Frank said in a lighter tone, instantly picking up on the young man's nervous demeanor. Garrett's cell phone interrupted them and he quickly excused himself after checking the caller ID, leaving the two on their own.

Riordan was at a loss on what to say or do now that he was left all alone in the small hospital room with the commissioner watching over him and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I'm sorry, sir."

Frank's brow creased in confusion. "For what? For doing your job and walking up on a crime in progress? You and Sergeant Renzulli did well, son. Unfortunately, you had a perp who wouldn't or maybe couldn't listen to reason," he said, hoping his officer wasn't thinking he was here to fault him for getting shot.

Riordan wasn't one to argue with a superior, much less the Police Commissioner himself, and took his words at face value, relaxing against the bed once he started to believe he wasn't in any trouble. "Yes, sir."

"I understand the wound wasn't too bad."

"No, sir. They may let me out of here tomorrow after the doc checks me out again," Riordan advised.

"That's good to hear, son," Frank smiled. "Do you have family we could contact?" he asked, hoping that he had someone nearby.

"Uh, no...well, not..." he stammered and looked down to where his hands were worrying the edge of the hospital blanket, unsure of how to answer that question for his superior.

"Your mother, perhaps?" Frank suggested, saddened more than he expected to be by the shaky response. "I understand we've already made an attempt to reach out to her but we have not been able to get a hold of her. I would hate to have a mother hear about something like this from the media. Have you been allowed to try her yourself yet?"

"Uh, no, well, yes, but...uh, I'll try her in a bit. She's probably working," Riordan rambled, as he usually did when the subject of his family arose.

"Are you alright, Jimmy? I mean, aside from the obvious," Frank questioned, his concern for the young officer deepening for some inexplicable reason.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine. Must be the medicine they gave me...got me a little foggy," Riordan covered quickly. The meds had gotten to him but not as much as this visit.

"I'm sure they did, that along with everything else. You've had an exciting day," Frank smiled kindly. "I won't keep you from resting. I just wanted to make sure you were alright and let you know you did a fine job out there. I'm real proud of you, son."

"Thank you, sir. That means a lot," Riordan replied. It really did; Frank Reagan was a cop's cop and the main reason he'd left Buffalo and headed for the academy in New York City. There wasn't a more upstanding, ethical leader in all of law enforcement than Frank Reagan, of that he was sure because he had done his homework before deciding on where to apply. He was the type of person he wanted to work for.

"You take care, son," Frank said, wanting to put an end to the visit so that the poor boy could rest, but there was something about this young man that made him want to stay, hating the idea of leaving him behind with no family to sit by his side. "If you need anything, anything at all, well, you know where I am," he offered.

"Yes, sir," the officer nodded in return, taking that as nothing more than the standard words he would offer to any other officer he'd visit in the hospital. "Thank you, sir."

* * *

 _I would also like to give a shout out to BlueBlood82 for the constant feedback through each and every chapter; it was greatly appreciated and extremely helpful in developing this story. :)_

 _Lastly, with all of my stories, I try hard to make everything as true to the show as possible or, when it comes to legal procedures or medical situations, etc, to make them accurate as well. But remember that this is fan fiction and sometimes it works better for the story to stretch the truth or mold the facts a little bit to make them fit better. There is some of that here in this story, so be prepared. I hope that you'll read this for your entertainment and that you enjoy it...and please review so I know what you think. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for all of the reviews! Hopefully I managed to reply back to everyone that left a note. I am excited to hear your feedback as the story progresses, so please continue to share your thoughts._

Chapter 2

Sergeant Anthony Renzulli made his way down the fourth floor hallway of St. Victor's Hospital searching for his partner's room. It had been a hell of a day that started out routinely enough and he'd been hopeful for a quiet and easy tour before a few scheduled days off from work. But maybe it was that wishful thinking that had doomed them from the start as he and his partner came across an armed robbery in progress at about the time they should have been going on meal and headed to Cleo for one of the city's best gyros and it ended with his rookie suffering a gunshot wound to his side. He swore he could feel himself having a coronary when he saw Jimmy go down, but had somehow managed to stay focused on their perp even after he'd put a bullet in him, secured him in cuffs to make sure he was no longer a threat before ordering the arriving uniforms to deal with the scumbag so he could tend to his partner. The poor kid had been curled up on the ground, clutching his side which prevented him from seeing where he was hit. When he managed to get Jimmy on his back for a better look, he feared the worst as bright red blood seeped through the kid's fingers. That sight alone had shaved ten years off his life.

Renzulli shook his head to rid himself of those terrifying memories. He had to remind himself that his partner was fine while he'd spent the rest of the day dealing with detectives, reporting to the Commissioner's DCPI as their boss was rushed to the hospital from some meeting downtown and completing the mandatory reports which were a hundred times more tedious than a standard incident report because not only had shots been fired, but a perp _and_ an officer had been hit. As much as he wished he could go home, throw back a beer or two and put this terrible day behind him, he had one more important thing to do. Renzulli approached room 423 and nodded a greeting at the suits making their way out of Jimmy's room. "Hey, kid," he announced his arrival with a soft knock on the open door of the hospital room, examining his partner thoroughly with one glance, comparing him to how he looked the last time he'd seen him - pale and pained as he was being wheeled back to one of the ER trauma rooms. Compared to then, the kid looked a hell of a lot better, worn out, but definitely better.

"Hey, Sarge," Jimmy replied with a tired smile.

"The detectives all done with you?" Renzulli asked with a nod toward the hallway as he approached his bedside.

"Yeah, I think so...for now at least," Jimmy assumed and rubbed the palms of his hands against his tired and burning eyes.

Renzulli took a deep breath, feeling a lot like the kid looked. "You know you gave me a real scare out there today," he confessed while shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Gave myself one too," Jimmy sighed. "It was a close call out there today, Sarge."

"Could have went either way, but it went ours," Renzulli said.

Jimmy smirked at his TO. "Never look back though, right? That's what you taught me?"

"That's right, kid," Renzulli smiled. "You were doing good out there, Jimmy. You really knew how to talk to that guy even though he was higher than a kite, almost had that meth-head ready to drop his weapon. If only those other units could have rolled in ten seconds later, I'd be buying you a beer at Sully's right now instead of visiting you in the hospital."

"Guess that minor in psychology is gonna come in handy after all, huh, Sarge?" Jimmy quipped, referring to the frequent teasing from his TO on all of the psych courses he took along with his major in criminal justice.

"That's right, college boy," Renzulli laughed, but turned serious because he had realized long ago that Jimmy had a gift for this job. "You know, you got something special, Jimmy...a special kind of instinct for dealing with people," he said before continuing with a thought that, unbeknownst to him, mirrored the Commissioner's when he'd visited the wounded officer this afternoon. "You remind me of one of my old boots," Renzulli remarked before realizing he'd said it out loud, but stopped himself from going any further because he certainly didn't want to go into the tragic fate of another great officer he'd once trained, especially while his current partner was nursing his own battle wound. Instead, Renzulli quickly switched to another topic of concern. "Listen, Jimmy, we tried reaching your mom a few times and didn't have much luck. Have you gotten through to her or is there another number I could try for you?"

Jimmy stiffened a little at the mention of his mother which did not go unnoticed by the older man. "Ah, nah, Sarge, it's fine," he insisted.

Renzulli frowned. "What do you mean it's fine? Your family should know. You _mother_ should know you were shot," he insisted.

A whole range of emotions crossed Jimmy's face as he sought a way out of this conversation, but he'd been riding with this man for long enough to know he'd persist, especially with his current situation, and decided to come clean. "Sarge, my mom and I...we don't really see eye to eye about much," he began to explain vaguely, hoping he wouldn't have to go into any details.

"That doesn't mean she wouldn't want to know," Renzulli argued. There was no way in hell any mother wouldn't want to know her kid was hurt...then again, with what he saw on the job sometimes, nothing would surprise him. But he refused to think that a good kid like Jimmy had family that didn't care about his well being. Anybody would be lucky and proud to have him as their son.

"Not so sure about that," Jimmy mumbled under his breath.

Renzulli's frown deepened at that statement, hearing it clearly but not willing to believe it. "Say what?"

"Nothing, just...it's easier if I don't bother her with this," Jimmy said, but he was really thinking that it was better for him to not bother with her at all.

"Bother her?" Renzulli parroted.

"I only put her down as my emergency contact because I didn't have anyone else to list on the form," Jimmy admitted, embarrassed by his circumstances.

Renzulli sighed and took a seat in the guest chair near the end of the bed, scratching his head at the damn mess this day had turned into. "Listen, kid, I know you don't talk about your family much, so I'm guessing it wasn't all gumdrops and lollipops growing up."

Jimmy looked away, not really wanting to go down that road with his TO...or anyone.

Renzulli forged on, wanting to know more about his partner so that he could make something clear to him. "I know you said you didn't have any brothers or sisters...what about your father?"

"Wasn't in the picture, never was," Jimmy shrugged, pretending that wasn't a big deal, but Renzulli saw right through him. He got lucky that Renzulli didn't press for more on that topic, but still hated the pity in the older man's eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jimmy," he sympathized, deciding quickly on the best course of action. "Well, first thing's first, if you really don't want your mom to be your emergency contact and you're sure about that," he paused to receive a jerky nod from his boot, "then let's not waste time trying to call someone we can't reach."

"I don't have anyone else -" Jimmy began to reply.

"You got me kid," Renzulli interrupted.

Jimmy looked away, embarrassed that his boss might see him as some pitiful charity case. "I appreciate the officer, sarge, but it's not -"

"Listen to me, right now," Renzulli cut him off and waited until Jimmy was looking him in the eyes. "We're riding around together right now, so I'm the first to know if you're in trouble anyway, but one day soon I'm gonna take the floaties off your arms and send you out into the deep end of the pool with another cop by your side and I won't be watching your back anymore. But that doesn't mean I cut ties with you then...I got a vested interest in you, kid." Renzulli held Jimmy's gaze, hoping he knew that he saw him as more than a subordinate. "I spent lots of blood, sweat and tears molding you into a good cop and I need to make sure all my hard work doesn't go to waste," he said with a lighter tone to break the tension. "Plus, if there's one thing you shoulda learned by now is that we're all family here. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Jimmy nodded and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Thanks, sarge."

"You're welcome. Now, you look like you're about ready to saw some logs. Just lay back and relax, college kid," he ordered as he threw his feet up on the end of the bed and sat back in his chair.

"You don't have to stay," Jimmy said. Renzulli looked as tired as he felt and hated to keep the man from heading home.

"Now what did I tell ya, huh? We're family," he reminded him with an unspoken order to quit arguing.

Jimmy nodded and closed his eyes as his lips stretched into a small smile, fully expecting what came out of Renzulli's mouth next to further justify his reasons for keeping him company.

"Plus, Marie's at home waiting to force her cooking on me...ugh!...it's like dog food!" Renzulli groused as a shutter of disgust ran through him. "If I get home late enough, I won't have to eat it."

"Glad I could help," Jimmy snorted as he felt himself finally letting his guard down for the first time that day.

* * *

Frank Reagen sat motionless in his large executive chair with his chin cradled in the palm of his hand while lost in deep thought. Something had been bothering him all day, ever since he'd visited Officer Riordan in the hospital and it wasn't just the fact that one of his men was in the hospital healing from a gunshot wound. Something about that young man had him out of sorts and his gut was telling him that it was more than just the fact that he'd reminded him of Joe.

The thought of his son had Frank turning around to face the large credenza behind his desk. He reached forward and took the framed photograph of Joe posing in his dress blues in his hand and stared into it as if asking his son for an explanation for his unease.

That was how Garrett Moore found him several minutes later when he came into the dimly lit office to deliver the paperwork for the pending promotions. "What are you still doing here, Frank? I thought you would have headed home already."

Frank remained focused on Joe's handsome face, still not believing he was really gone. It was a pain he didn't think he'd have to suffer again but it seemed that lightning had struck twice in that regard. And it was another reason why he'd sometimes found himself questioning his faith...Frank tried his damnedest to be a good man, a family man who's life's work was to make this city safer for his loved ones and it's citizens. But he had failed them at times and even though fate had dealt him and the family some very crappy cards, his stubborn Irish pride would not let him throw in the towel, even in those instances that would send most men into hiding. Frank knew no better way to avoid the pain he carried in his heart everyday than by submerging himself in his work and his family, which was why, when he'd learned that a corrupt group of cops had been responsible for Joe's death, he'd worked day and night with the help of a select few, including his older children, to nail the bastards who'd stolen so much from them. And while they'd gotten justice, it was bitter-sweet as they still dealt with Joe's loss everyday. But he carried a heavier burden because he had never been able to get that same kind of justice for his youngest son. "I'll head out in a little while," he replied.

Garrett's brow wrinkled. Frank Reagan was distracted, he had been ever since they left the hospital and that was hardly a word anyone would use to describe him. "You look like you got the weight of the world on your shoulders, Frank. I thought you'd be relieved to know that Officer Riordan's injuries were minor," he commented while taking a seat in front of the large mahogany desk.

"I am," Frank confirmed as he turned to face his DCPI and placed the frame in the center of his blotter.

"So what's on your mind?" Garrett prompted.

Frank knew who was on his mind, he just didn't know why. "Officer Riordan," he shared.

"What about him?"

"I don't know," Frank sighed with a frustrated shake of his head.

Garrett chuckled nervously. "You're not making much sense, Frank."

"I know that," he huffed in annoyance which was aimed more at himself than his DCPI. "I don't quite understand it either."

"Okay. Just tell me what's on your mind and maybe I can help you figure it out," Garrett offered as he got more comfortable in the chair.

Frank took several seconds to organize his thoughts. It was hard to explain what even he could not understand, but he gave it a shot anyway. "When I went to see him..." he stopped himself to look up into his friend's eyes to gauge his reaction, "this is going to sound crazy, but he reminded me of Joe," he said with some hesitation.

"Joe?" Garrett repeated, surprised to hear Frank mention his younger son. It wasn't often that he brought Joe up to anyone. It wasn't often he discussed any of the heartache the family had suffered over the years.

"Yes."

"Okay. Well...it's not unusual to see some similarities between strangers and loved ones. I take it that brought up old feelings about Joe and his passing?" Garrett surmised.

Frank let out a heavy sigh of frustration. "It's not that...well, it did, if I'm honest, but it really isn't just that." One thing he knew for sure was that he hated to see that young man alone in his hospital room with no family around him. As a father, his heart broke at seeing that, but he was sure there was more to it.

"Help me out here Frank. Then what is it?" Garrett urged, wanting desperately to help his friend with whatever had him so shaken.

"I wish I knew. But I want you to do something for me, Garrett."

"Of course. Anything."

"I want you to pull Riordan's personnel file for me, everything we got and everything he had to submit to get into the academy and on the job." Frank didn't know what he was looking for but he figured that was the best place to start.

"Oooh-kay," Garret drawled with apparent uncertainty.

"Don't look at me like that!" Frank snapped.

"Like what?" Garrett asked innocently at his friend's sudden ire.

"Like I've lost my marbles!" Frank grumbled.

"I didn't...I'm not," Garrett replied quickly. "And I'll get right on it, I'll have it for you in the morning. Now go home, Frank. It's been a long day."

"Yes...that it has," he agreed and got up from his chair with one last glance at the framed photograph on his desk.

* * *

 _There is a lot more Renzulli in this story than there is of Garrett, but both are such great characters and Renzulli is sadly underutilized on the show after season two...I'm getting my Renzulli fix with this story. Expect to see a lot more of him! And Frank's gut is in high drive, he's just not sure what he's dealing with yet._

 _There will be no update tomorrow as party-planner duties for my little sister's baby shower take precedence over fan fiction for one day! But who knows, maybe it will provide inspiration for another chapter of 'Baby Steps' which I have sadly neglected because of this story which has grown to thirty chapters and is still not done. I will try to knock out another chapter to that story after this one concludes; I could use some Reagan/baby silliness. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks again for all of the reviews! I'm very excited about the response so far. Had a great Saturday, but I'm ready to put away the party-planning hat and carry on with the story. :)_

Chapter 3

Frank looked up from where he was packing up his briefcase at the kitchen table to find his father shuffling into the kitchen, wrapped up in his bathrobe with his hair still a mess from a long night's sleep. "Morning, pop. You're up earlier than usual."

"I could say the same about you," Henry grumped on the way to the coffee maker. He poured himself a cup and turned to find Frank staring back at him in confusion. "Hard to get any sleep with those gargantuan hooves of yours trudging all over the house last night."

Frank grimaced apologetically; he hadn't meant to disturb his father. He thought he'd been quiet as he moved through the house last night. Unable to sleep, he gotten out of bed and had come downstairs to do a few hours of paperwork and then watched a little TV before forcing himself to go back up to rest for a few hours. "Sorry, pop."

"So what's on your mind, Francis?" Henry asked as he took a seat across from him.

"Nothing," Frank replied as he continued stuffing files into his briefcase.

Henry placed his mug back onto the table with a noticeable thump and raised a brow at his son. "I know you well enough to know that you wander when something's bothering you. Now out with it, Francis. Was it the shooting yesterday?"

Frank sighed. His father was the last one he'd be able to fool. "It is, pop, but it's also something else I can't quite put my finger on, something having to do with the officer that was hit."

"Did he do something wrong? I thought he got shot trying to stop an armed robbery. That's what they said on the news," Henry said.

"He did, but..." Frank paused and placed the last file on the table as he took a seat. "It was strange, something about him seemed so familiar and he didn't have any family there with him. I'm not sure if I just felt bad for him or," Frank looked at the file on the table as he spoke the following words, "just got thrown because he reminded me of Joe."

"Ah," Henry replied, assuming that was what had Frank in this state.

"You think that's it?" Frank asked, hoping his father would be able to figure it out for him, because he couldn't seem to.

"Could be. It would be understandable if that threw you for a loop, Francis. It's hard getting over a loss like that, especially with everything we found out a few months back." It wasn't long ago that those wounds had resurfaced when the truth behind Joe's death came to light.

"Yeah," Frank agreed. If that was all it was, at least he knew how to bury those feelings so he could get on with his day. But it was this uncertainty he was feeling that had him bothered.

"So what are you going to do?" Henry queried.

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

Henry let out a short laugh. "Come on, Francis. Already told you that I know you inside out. I know you don't plan to just let this be."

"I asked Garrett to pull his personnel file," Frank confessed. "I just want to know a little more about him."

"You wondering if he's a puppy that needs saving?" Henry asked and worried that Frank might be trying to fill some void by taking an interest in this young officer.

"He's a New York City police officer, pop. I don't think he needs saving from anything...at least I hope not. I'm just going to take a look. I'm sure it's nothing and I can put this all aside after I do," Frank said while getting up from his chair and putting the last file into his briefcase. "I gotta get going."

"Alright, Francis. Have a good one," Henry bid him fare well and hoped his son found whatever he needed to bring him some peace.

"Thanks, pop. You too."

* * *

Frank was going through the previous day's 5s when a knock sounded at the door and Garrett Moore poked his head inside. "Frank?"

"Garrett, come in," he ordered while closing the file he'd been reviewing and eyed another file in his DCPI's hand as he strode over to his desk. "Is that what I think it is?"

Garrett looked down at the front cover and nodded before handing it over. "As requested, a full copy of the personnel file of one second year officer, James Riordan."

"Thank you," Frank said as he placed the file in front of him.

"You're welcome."

"So why don't you give me the cliff notes," Frank prompted his friend as he opened the file.

"Pardon?"

Frank shot his DCPI a quick glance before reading the first page. "Come on, Garrett. I know you took a peak on your ride up from HR."

Garret pursed his lips as he took a seat in front of his boss. He couldn't help being curious about the young man that Frank was taking such an interest in. "Officer James Riordan, age 25..."

Frank's head snapped up at the mention of his age and he quickly returned to the section of the file listing Riordan's date of birth as Garrett continued to summarize the officer's life.

"...from Buffalo, New York. High school valedictorian, graduate of SUNY-Buffalo, BS in criminal justice, minor in psychology, top of his class...took the test after graduation, great score, and went right into the academy...graduated top of his class again...noticing a pattern there? Smart kid. Assigned to the Twelfth out of the academy. His TO, Renzulli, has sung his praises multiple times, already has two commendations on his record for going above and beyond. His mother is the only emergency contact listed in his file. From what I gathered, no one was successful in reaching her yesterday at all. Sergeant Renzulli said he would talk to him about that, he was also concerned about the fact that we were unable to reach his family. Nothing else of significance in his file. Seems likes you got a great cop in the making there, Frank."

"But I'm betting there's more," Frank whispered as he delved further into the file and reached one page of particular interest.

"Like what Frank?"

Frank took a deep breath and let the overturned pages of the personnel file flutter back down as he reached into his suit jacket for his wallet. Garrett watched curiously as his friend pulled a small item from within the bill fold.

Frank's lips pressed into a tight line as he gazed at the small photograph pressed between his fingertips as the tip of his index finger ran up and down the smooth surface, his eyes softening at the image. "Now you're really going to think I'm crazy, Garrett," Frank predicted in a low voice.

"What are you thinking, Frank?" Garrett asked, but Frank's only response was to hand over the photograph. Garrett looked at his boss before finally studying the image. "Who's this?" he asked, although a part of him already knew. His gut clenched when his eyes landed on the light-eyed, sandy-haired baby boy in the photograph.

"Jamie," Frank rasped.

"Your youngest," Garret added, shocked that Frank was bringing this up now. Jamie was someone Frank never discussed, the distant memories too painful to even utter his name.

"Yes," Frank nodded as he took back the photo, his eyes focusing once again on the happy little face. This was the only way he remembered his baby boy. Taken from them at the age of six months, he could only picture his other sons, or a combination of them both, when imaging what Jamie might have looked like as he grew...if he did, that is.

"He was never found," Garrett said more as an afterthought than a fact that Frank needed to be reminded of.

"I know that, Garrett," Frank snapped back with an anger he felt whenever he thought of what had been stolen from them and his own failures in finding his son.

Garrett nodded apologetically as he pieced together why Frank had brought up Jamie just now and his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in surprise. "Wait, Frank, you can't be thinking..."

"I don't know what to think, Garrett," Frank replied as he placed Baby Jamie's photograph down next to Officer Riordan's department photo. Frank glanced at Joe's NYPD photo which had remained on his desk and the resemblance stole his breath away now that he was looking at them side by side. "I felt this odd connection to him the moment I laid eyes on him. And his resemblance to Joe...it's uncanny. And they're the same age...well, he's the same age Jamie would have been now at least."

"Frank, his birth certificate's in there," Garrett pointed out cautiously and stood to reach for the file, carefully placing Jamie's photo onto the desk and flipping through the records until he found the page he was looking for. "His mother is listed on there...Sherry Riordan and, well, the father is unknown, ufortunately."

"I thought that when I'd see that," Frank said as he pointed to the file Garrett had taken from his desk, "there'd be nothing and I could write this off as a grieving father being reminded of his late son and nothing more. But my gut is screaming at me now...there's something more going on here, Garrett, and I need to get to the bottom of it," he finished with a stubborn set of his jaw.

"I understand, Frank, trust me, I do," Garrett sympathized. He knew his friend had already suffered enough tragedy, starting with the disappearance of his youngest son two and a half decades before, and then the loss of his wife and his middle son, but he feared that Frank might be setting himself up for more heartache, a father looking for justice for another child he had not been able to protect. "I'm just afraid that you're opening up a painful can of worms here and if you don't find what you're looking for..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

But Frank finished it for him. "Then I go back to the way I was before, mourning for Joe and mourning for the son I lost 25 years ago and never got a chance to see grow up." Frank sat back in his chair. "I've never stopped looking, you know. I can't...It's the not knowing that kills you, we never got any closure...he just disappeared off the face of the earth. I always feared that one day we'd get word, that his body had been found, like Leo Gates, and while that's the last thing I would want for him, at least we'd finally know." Jamie had disappeared a few years after he'd worked the disappearance of nine-year-old Leo Gates in Midtown. And while he never worked Jamie's case in any official capacity, it along with Leo's file was one of many cold cases that sat on his desk, never willing to abandon them completely. And when his own baby boy had been snatched from his stroller one summer day while he'd been out with Mary and the kids at the park, he and his wife became personally familiar with the hell Laura Gates had endured when Leo vanished. It was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemies.

"So where do we go from here?" Garrett wondered.

"We?" Frank asked.

"I'll help in anyway I can, Frank. You know that." Garrett would do anything to help him find whatever he was looking for.

Frank nodded, appreciating his friend's offer. "I'd like to speak to Renzulli first."

"I'll give him a call and have him come in."

"Then I'm thinking I could use another detective's help," Frank added.

The way he said that, Garrett could guess who he was referring to. "You mean Danny?"

"Yeah. But I'll wait until after I see Renzulli."

"I'll go call him now," Garrett assured him as he got up and headed to the door.

"And Garrett -"

"No need to say it, Frank. This does not leave this office," he swore with look back at his boss.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _Frank will continue to play detective on his own for a bit longer before deciding to bring the family in on his suspicions with the hopes that another great detective and an ADA will help him figure out this mystery._

 _Next update tomorrow morning!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Detective Frank Reagan is on the case..._

Chapter 4

"Tony, take a seat, please," Frank instructed Renzulli as he led him over to the sitting area while Baker closed the door behind them. "I'm sorry that I made you dress up and come down here on your day off," he smiled.

"It's no problem, sir," Renzulli replied as he unbuttoned the jacket of his monkey suit. He'd been at home enjoying his day off when he'd gotten the call to head down to 1PP at the Commissioner's request. "I take it this is about the shooting?"

"In a way," Frank replied as he took a seat in the large arm chair. "I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about your partner."

"Jimmy?" Renzulli clarified, as if he had another partner.

"Yes," Frank nodded.

Renzulli's feathers ruffled a bit, feeling a surge of protectiveness for his young partner and a need to defend himself in case the brass was looking to accuse them of some sort of wrongdoing in the shooting. Why else would he be here anyway? "I thought the burrough shooting team cleared us?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, they did," he assured him. "Neither of you are in any trouble, Tony. There was just something about Jimmy when we met he other day that got me curious." It was the truth...but it just wasn't the whole truth.

"May I ask what that is, sir?" Renzulli inquired, still preparing to defend his partner just in case.

Frank avoided the question because he obviously wasn't ready to divulge his suspicions. And he was grateful for his rank, because a respectful officer like Renzulli knew well enough to answer the questions posed to him by a superior. "I was curious about is background."

Renzulli was still confused about why he was here and where this was going and considering how private Jimmy was about his family, he wasn't one hundred percent comfortable spilling the few beans he'd been privy to on his background. Maybe it was better that he didn't know much, he could claim ignorance and still not disobey orders. "Like family?"

"For starters," Frank replied.

"I'm not sure what I can tell you, sir. Jimmy's not a big talker when it comes to his family. I only just found out that he really doesn't get long with his mom because of the fact that we couldn't reach her the other day but he didn't go into any details. And with all due respect, sir, if he had, I wouldn't feel real comfortable revealing them to anyone."

"I understand, Tony," Frank said as he looked on expectantly.

Renzulli still wasn't certain what to make out of all of this, but figured he didn't know much more than what they already had in the kid's personnel file. "Well, his father's not in the picture, never was apparently, so he doesn't have anyone else. That's why I had him sign a new emergency contact form and had him list me on it. Last thing I want when he finally gets a new partner is, God forbid, for something to happen and for him not to have someone who gives a damn by his side.

Frank gave the man a small smile. "I had the same thought about that very issue. You're a good man for doing that, Tony."

Sensing that the Commissioner didn't appear to be on some witch hunt, Renzulli went on to praise his boot. "Jimmy's a great kid, Commissioner. He's still a little green, but when he's on patrol, he's sharp and assertive...smart as a whip, I mean, he should really be a doctor or a lawyer or something. And straight as an arrow too, by the book, I think he's got the whole damn patrol guide memorized. The department is lucky to have him...I don't think he really had the best childhood growing up in Buffalo. I think he has always had to depend on himself to make things happen which explains why he's so reserved when it comes to his personal life. The way he turned out is remarkable, not a lot of people who lack a support system have the drive to fend for themselves _and_ stay on the straight and narrow the way he does."

"No, they don't," Frank agreed.

"He works hard to make his nut, lives in a real shit hole in Vinegar Hill - pardon my language - so he can pay off his school loans. Honestly, I don't think he knew any better when he moved to the city and looked for the cheapest rent he could find without ending up in the boondocks. I know the small bump from his rookie salary was a welcome relief when he got off of probation."

"I wish our patrol men and women could earn more for what they do, they deserve it."

"Yes, sir."

"Has he been discharged?" Frank asked.

"Yes, sir. I took him home yesterday morning. He's on medical leave until he sees the doctor again next week - " Renzulli paused suddenly when his eyes landed on the framed photograph of Joe Reagan which was sitting back in its customary spot on the shelf behind the Commissioner's desk.

Frank turned to glance over his shoulder. "Tony? Is something wrong?" he asked once he turned to face a stunned Renzulli again.

"Uh...no...it's just..." Renzulli stumbled as he debated whether he should tell his boss that his dead son reminded him of his partner. How had he not noticed the similarity over the past year? Jesus...and then there was that comment he made to Jimmy back at the hospital. The commissioner was staring at him curiously when he finally met his eyes again. "Looking at that picture of Joe behind you," he stopped to let out a deep breath, " I just realized he looks a lot like Jimmy and..."

"And?" Frank pushed him along, sensing that Renzulli was feeling a lot like he did at the hospital.

"Well, the similarities in appearance didn't really hit me until just now, but it also reminded me of something I told him at the hospital."

"What was that?"

"I told him...," Renzulli paused again, not wanting to make his boss uncomfortable when he said the following words, but he went on. "I told him he reminded me of another rookie I trained once."

Frank pressed his lips together. Maybe he wasn't so crazy. "My Joe."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir, if I -"

Frank held up a hand to stop Renzulli. "No, please. I'd love to know what you meant by that."

Renzulli smiled sadly as he thought of Joe Reagan. "Joe had something special, a real unique way with people, knew how to read them...and he had the patience of a saint. I'd never seen it in any other young cop until Jimmy came along."

Frank felt some validation in hearing those words come out of the sergeant's mouth. His heart filled with hope that there was something to this crazy notion he was having while his mind warned him not to get too carried away just yet. But it gave him the courage to go one step further on his own.

* * *

Jimmy Riordan opened the door to his apartment and his eyes widened comically at who he found waiting on the other side. "Commissioner Reagan?"

"Officer Riordan. I hope this is not an imposition. I spoke to your sergeant and he told me you'd been discharged to recuperate at home," Frank said with look of amusement at the panic on the young man's face.

"Yes, sir," he squeaked as he glanced quickly at the armed member of the commissioner's detail standing guard in his gloomy hallway.

"May I come in?" Frank asked with a raised brow.

"Uh...," Jimmy uttered as he looked back at his tiny studio apartment. No one ever had reason to visit him here...hell, he hardly ever brought dates back to his place. It was clean but definitely not big enough to entertain in, although he couldn't say no to the Police Commissioner. "Of course, sir. Come in, please."

Frank took a few steps into the tidy apartment but he really didn't have very far to go after that. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a view into the rest of the living area which was sparsely furnished with a day bed, sitting chair, bureau and television, not that much else would fit in the limited space. The building was a dump, of that Renzulli was correct, but the apartment, despite it's size, was well maintained, orderly and had been freshly painted sometime in the last year as far as Frank could tell and he would be willing to bet it's occupant had taken that task upon himself.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I don't have anything to offer you," Jimmy said regretfully as he motioned toward his kitchen which desperately needed to be restocked. "The last few days have been..."

"Hectic to say the least," Frank finished for him with a smirk. "And don't worry about me. I don't need anything more than a place to sit down...May I?" he asked while pointing to the side chair.

"Yeah, yes. I'm sorry, this is just a surprise," Jimmy said as he snatched a sweatshirt off the back of the chair. He then sat down slowly on the edge of his bed with a hand pressed against the stitches on his side.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," Frank explained while watching Jimmy's stiff and careful movements.

"I'm fine, sir, really. Thank you for asking," Jimmy replied politely while his brow crinkled and he wondered what this was really about.

Frank smiled at the curious expression on the younger man's face. Renzulli was right, the kid knew how to read people and he was picking up on the fact that there was more to this than a friendly visit with an injured officer. "You look like you got a question to ask me, Jimmy. May I call you Jimmy?"

Jimmy laughed nervously. "Of course, I think you can call me whatever you want, sir," he pointed out as he ran his sweaty palms against his thighs.

"So? What's the question?" Frank prompted the young man.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing really," Jimmy begged off, already feeling uncomfortable sitting in his cramped apartment with the Police Commissioner who was dressed impeccably in his three-piece suit while he sported a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Come on now, I'll answer any question you got. We're on your home turf and it's the least I can do considering I've dropped by unannounced."

Jimmy smiled bashfully, but considering the offer, he said, "It's just, well, I didn't know the Police Commissioner made house calls to wounded members of service."

Yup, the kid was sharp. "Well, it's something I'm trying to do more often," Frank claimed, but if he actually did it from now on, it wouldn't be a total lie. "It shouldn't just be a three minute visit in between briefings to check on my wounded men as far as I'm concerned. And I wish there was more time to get to know the men and women that work for me when we're not in the middle of an emergency. Maybe this is one way I can do that."

"I would think that's an impossible task with a force of thirty-five thousand men and women," Jimmy stated.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

Jimmy nodded, not quite believing his boss, but there was no reason for him to lie as far as he knew. Still, he found this whole encounter strange and a little nerve-wracking. He never thought he'd have a one-on-one meeting with the highest ranking member of the department in his studio apartment.

"So your sergeant tells me you should be back to work in week or two," Frank filled the silence to ease the boy's clear discomfort.

"I'll be back on full duty in probably two weeks," Jimmy nodded. "Doc said I'll get the stitches out in a week and he won't clear me for patrol for at least another week after that."

"He'll clear you when the time is right and not a moment before. There's no need to rush these things," Frank said with a pointed look. "He also told me about how you handled the perp in the bodega. Sergeant Renzulli had nothing but good things to say about you, Jimmy. He expects great things from you."

"Sergeant Renzulli's a great training officer," Jimmy replied shyly. He was always uncomfortable when he was on the receiving end of a compliment.

Frank noticed his discomfort and made a mental note of it for later. "What are your plans with the department?"

"Plans?"

"Yes. Where do you see yourself in a few years?"

Jimmy's eyes widened a little at the unexpected question but it wasn't hard to answer because he wanted nothing more than to get his gold shield. "Uh, well, I hope to make detective some day," he shared.

"Oh, yeah?" Frank perked up at his answer.

"Yeah. I love patrol, I really do, sir, but..." Jimmy stopped as he debated on how best to answer. "Can I be candid, sir?"

"Sure, just the two of us here," Frank shrugged.

"I know I've only been on the force for a year but it's disappointing sometimes to see everyone else getting to solve the puzzle, you know? Most we get to do is take it out of the box and put a few of the edge pieces together," he explained.

"I understand, Jimmy. I gotta say, I felt the same way my first few years on patrol," Frank smiled, feeling a real connection to the boy the longer they talked.

"May I ask how long it took you to make detective, sir?" Jimmy asked as he felt himself begin to relax.

"Yes you may and three years. And my son, Danny, he made it in three and a half," Frank said proudly.

"Good genes," Jimmy commented with a grin.

Frank smiled... _and hopefully you got them_ , he thought. "Do you play basketball?" he asked when he spotted a ball tucked away in the corner of the room.

"Yeah, I do. I go down and play pick up games at the Y sometimes."

"Something else you got in common with my son. He plays in a weekly league against the smoke eaters. You should join him."

"Oh, uh, I wouldn't want to impose," Jimmy said, not sure that the commissioner's son wanted or needed to be forced to play with some newbie.

"Nonsense! Danny would also be a good person for you to speak to about your goal of making detective. I'm sure he can offer you some guidance in that respect," Frank insisted. This would also be the perfect way to find out a little more about him.

Jimmy's brows shot up at that idea. He knew he was years from having a shot at making detective but in order for that to happen, someone needed to take an interest and mentor him or offer him some type of hook. And while he didn't want to rely on a hook to get him his gold shield - not that he'd ever have one anyway - talking to Detective Reagan might teach him a thing or two about what he needed to do. If he was going to make that happen for himself, he would need to start somewhere. "Would he be willing? Because that would really be great," Jimmy said.

"Of course he would! And Danny wouldn't sugarcoat it for you either. He's notorious for telling it like it is...I gotta warn you though, sometimes he lacks a filter between his brain and his mouth, but you can always trust him to steer you in the right direction," Frank said. He was now eager to speak to the rest of the family and look deeper into this. If he could arrange to have Danny meet Jimmy, he'd probably see that there was something to this hunch he had.

"Okay, yes, if he's willing," Jimmy accepted.

"Great. I'll have him reach out to you, Jimmy," Frank promised as he stood to leave; he'd made Baker free up a tiny chunk of time on his schedule to squeeze in this visit and had no desire to annoy his assistant any further than he already had. "I've got to head out, but I'm glad to see you doing well, son."

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate you coming all the way out here to check up on me," he said as the commissioner extended his hand.

"Well, I hope to see you again soon, but not for this reason," Frank smiled before leaving the apartment.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Jimmy said and remained at the door to his apartment as he watched the Police Commissioner and his security take the stairs down to the ground floor, still in disbelief that he'd really stopped by just to check on him while never more certain that he had made the right choice in coming to New York City.

* * *

 _And the big family meeting is coming up next!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Danny let the door to the kitchen swing shut behind him as he made his way into the living room where the two older Reagan men were already gathered with Erin. "Okay, so Linda's got the kids busy in the kitchen with dinner," he said as he took his seat on the couch. He'd been wondering all morning about why his father needed him to come over extra early, especially when his old man skirted around the reason over the phone. At first, he thought it was work related, but when he arrived and found his sister there as well, he jumped to some worrisome conclusions, starting with the eldest Reagan's health and his father possibly stepping down as commissioner.

"What's going on, dad?" Erin inquired as she too was equally concerned about what was coming.

"Yeah and do we need single malt for this? 'Cause it's feeling like a single malt kind of conversation," Danny fretted.

"It might be," Frank replied honestly, "but I don't think Linda would appreciate all of us drinking before dinner." He could see the concern etched on each of their faces and it wasn't his intention to worry them, but this wasn't something he wanted to get into over the phone.

"At least not without her," Danny joked to hide his nerves.

"What's going on, Francis?" Henry asked, wanting his son to quit beating around the bush already.

Frank licked his lips nervously before beginning. "Pop, remember I told you about the officer that got hit last week?"

"In the armed robbery?" Henry clarified, not that there were any other officer-involved shootings that he was aware of.

Frank nodded in response.

"You mean the rookie out of the Twelfth?" Danny asked, wondering what he had to do with calling a family meeting.

"Technically, he's not a rookie anymore. He's well into his second year on the force," Frank babbled.

"Quit stalling, Francis. You said he reminded you of Joe," Henry recalled.

"Joe? What does he have to do with this...whatever the hell this is?" Danny shot back nervously at his father. The revelation of the Blue Templar's involvement in Joe's death and their subsequent takedown last spring was still fresh in all of their minds and just the mention of Joe's name had him fearing that the whole saga with the Templar wasn't done. But what could be left? Had someone been left out of the long list of culprits?

"What's going on, dad?" Erin repeated as her thoughts mirrored her brother's.

"I went to visit Officer Riordan in the hospital after he got shot and," Frank stopped, again afraid of how this was going to sound, but if he couldn't be honest with his family, than what was left? "I can't explain it. At the time, I thought I was just caught off guard by his likeness to Joe."

Danny and Erin exchanged a look, now thoroughly confused about where this was going.

"So it was upsetting that he looked like Joe?" Erin reasoned.

Frank didn't think he'd be able to get his point across without showing them what he meant, so he took out the file he'd been stowing away in his briefcase for the last several days. He had purposely positioned it next to his armchair for just this reason and fully expected to have to use it at some point to prove his theory, although he really didn't have much to go on even with the file. "Take a look for yourselves." He laid the manila file on the coffee table and opened the front cover to reveal Officer Riordan's department photo.

Henry, Erin and Danny all had the same reaction - their brows arching up in surprise as they too noticed the uncanny resemblance.

"Woah," Danny gasped.

"You weren't kidding, Francis," Henry whispered as he eyed the oddly familiar face in the photo.

"You should see him in person. The eyes above all else..." Frank said softly.

"They're like Joe's," Erin mumbled as she slid the photo out from under the paperclip for a closer inspection. She glanced up at the large framed photograph of Joe on the side table, the last department photo he'd taken just after he'd made detective. Take a few years off him in that photo and she'd be looking at almost the same person.

"Yes, the hazel eyes with the hints of blue," he nodded as he thought of his middle son. "Anyway, it stuck with me the rest of the day and that whole night, so..."

"So what did you do?" Henry asked.

"So I had Garrett pull his personnel file to start with," he said with a nod to the folder in front of them, unsure of how he was going to drop the next bomb.

"And? What are you thinking, Francis?" Henry questioned, both worried and intrigued by where this was heading.

Frank looked long at hard at each of his family members. "I know this is going to sound crazy because I have absolutely nothing to go on here except a likeness and a coincidence and a gut feeling, but..." Frank didn't know what else to say to get them to believe him right away, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, the same thing that led him to wonder about his baby boy. "He was born the same year as Jamie."

"Jamie?" Danny said in a breathy voice. Jesus...that really was the last thing he was expecting to hear coming out of his father's mouth.

"Dad..." Erin whispered as her eyes grew wet. She didn't know if it was just the thought of her long, lost baby brother or the fact that her father might have finally cracked and had become desperate enough for answers to start seeing Jamie in some officer who resembled his other dead son.

"I know this sounds crazy," Frank stated, hoping they'd hear him out first before calling Bellvue to reserve a bed for him. "Garrett already thinks I've lost my mind even if he won't say it to my face and maybe I have, but I've never stopped looking. Your brother's file sits in my desk drawer back at the office...I have the damn thing memorized," Frank vented as he stood and jammed his hands into his pockets, ready to go on the defensive. "And maybe all it's doing is giving me false hope, but I believe someday we'll find him, whether he," Frank stopped abruptly to allow himself a moment to reign in his emotions. "Whether he's dead or alive, we'll find him," he finished with thick voice.

Danny had to turn away, hating the pain he saw in his father's eyes. Nothing got to him like seeing his big, hero of a father on the verge of tears. Even though they all carried that same hurt, it was nothing to that of their parents; nothing was more devastating than failing to keep your own kids safe, regardless of the circumstances. And like his father, Danny had a similar file sitting in his desk drawer back at the squad; Patrick Goodwin was still out there somewhere and his mother was still waiting for him to bring Patrick home to her. It wasn't as personal as his little brother's case, but it was a case he'd never been able to shake, not just because it involved a child, but because after seeing Anna Goodwin crying hysterically on the front stoop of her building, he was suddenly ten years old again, clutching on to Erin and Joe as his mother ran frantically around a Brooklyn park screaming Jamie's name. "So what are you thinking, dad?" he pressed on. He was willing to do anything to find his brother.

"I want to look into this, but I need your help. If this is nothing more than false hope, well at least I can rule it out as a possibility and move on from there." Frank didn't know how he'd do that with so many emotions now resurfacing but he didn't want to think about that for now.

Henry remained thoughtfully quiet. He was personally familiar with losing a child, a fact that no one else in the family but his Betty knew about. But as tragic as the passing of his oldest child to leukemia had been, he got his closure. Even with Joe, as horrible and needless as his death had been, they'd finally gotten some real closure there knowing that the people responsible for his murder were behind bars or dead themselves. But with Jamie? That was a pain unlike any other, one that his son and daughter-in-law struggled with every waking moment since that day in late summer of 1988 when their baby boy had been snatched from his stroller at the park as Mary tended to a bloodied Joe after he took a tumble from one of the swings. That sweet, happy baby disappeared into thin air and Mary had been inconsolable with the three older children equally so, made worse with seeing their mother in such a state of hysterics. But Joe was the worst of the three older children with the six-year-old feeling responsible for pulling his mother away from his baby brother. The next several months had been a living hell between the media attention and the fruitless search for his grandson. They had all struggled to carry on and did so for the sake of the other children, but it was a terrible thing to live with...the wondering and the not knowing of what had become of their sweet baby.

"What do you want us to do?" Danny asked. This all sounded crazy, but there was no one's gut he would trust more than his old man's. He'd never come to them with this before and he figured it was about time that they took a look at his brother's case again. He and Joe had looked into it together not long after Danny had made detective and while Joe was still on patrol, both curious about the investigation itself and the efforts made to find their brother. And while their father and grandfather were technically not allowed to work the case themselves, they had no doubt that they'd been involved in some sort of unofficial capacity. The two older Reagan men would not have left one stone unturned in order to find Jamie - of that Joe and Danny had no doubt - but it didn't mean that the Reagan boys didn't want to try and bring some sort of resolution to the case, forever hoping that they'd find their brother alive and happy somewhere but prepared to deliver grim news as well, if that were the case. But they'd come up empty handed as the leads were few and witnesses only described a blonde woman in her twenties or thirties with a child matching Jamie's description. However, that didn't get them very far when about a dozen other women matching that description could be found at that park on any given day with a baby of their own. And the countless leads from the tip line set up to get the public's help had produced nothing more than dozens of other babies being mistaken for Jamie Reagan.

"I was hoping you two could dig a little deeper into his background and see what you could find out; I'd prefer to keep it out of my office as much as possible. I don't know how much more you can find other than what's already in that file and the little that he's told his training officer about his family," Frank said and proceeded to share the little information he had gathered as Danny flipped through the pages, leaving one specific detail for last. "I went back and met with him again," Frank confessed. He hadn't been able to stop himself from making that last minute visit to Jimmy's apartment, the need to see him one more time too strong to deny. Spending those few precious minutes with Jimmy had only made him more certain that there was something more to his growing suspicions.

"Where?" Erin asked.

"At his apartment in Vinegar Hill. He lives alone in a studio...seems really bright," Frank smiled fondly, already getting ahead of himself. "He's a good kid, wants to make detective some day. That's really where you come in, Danny."

"Me? How?" Danny asked as Erin took the file from his hands.

"I told him I would have you call him so that you could steer him in the right direction in that regard."

"But you want me to feel him out," Danny guessed.

"I'm betting you'll see what I see," Frank predicted.

"And maybe you can pull some more information from him to help us dig further into his background," Henry added, on board with the plan already.

"He plays basketball, I told him he should join you in a game," Frank said. "He should be healed up in a few weeks for an activity like that. Just keep engaging him."

"He might be less guarded in a casual setting," Erin suggested.

"Okay," Danny agreed while wondering how he was going to carry on and act normal with a guy his father thought was his long lost brother. "I'll do that."

"How are you dealing with all of this, dad?"

Frank nodded, feeling more at peace now that the family was involved. "Right now I'm trying not to get my hopes up to much," he lied, because his hopes were already soaring. "That's why I need you to help me with this. If it's nothing more than wishful thinking on your old man's part, I'd rather know that now rather than keep wondering."

* * *

 _Finally, Danny and Erin are on the case as well and I won't keep you waiting too long to find out what they were able to dig up._


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to all of the reviewers and everyone who has favorited/followed this story! Please keep your messages coming; I love to hear your thoughts and observations. :)_

Chapter 6

It was days later when Danny finally got a chance to start digging into Riodan's background. As much as he hated to put it off to the side, a tourist had been robbed and murdered after getting lost in one of the more sketchier parts of the city and the case just happened to land on his and Jackie's desks. It had been four days of extended tours until they'd finally gotten a lucky break with security video from a local business which broke the case and led them to their killer. Erin, likewise, had been delayed on her end because of a trial. She and Danny had split the work and decided that she would look into Sherry Riordan while Danny looked into her son. His father, of course, had expected one hundred percent of their time and efforts to be on their work, but now that their perp was behind bars and Erin had nailed another bad guy, they were ready to do a little digging. The older brother and the detective in Danny couldn't put this off to the side any longer.

And that was why Jackie found him sitting at his desk on his day off, dressed more casually than he normally would for work while he began running long and painful searches in just about every database he could think of to find every detail of James Riordan's life available to him.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Jackie asked as she passed by him on her way to her desk, narrowing her eyes at the CODIS search she could see running on his screen. She too was dressed down as she shuffled in on her day off. "We got a case?"

Danny couldn't help but jump at the sound of her voice. They'd both worked so hard this past week, he expected his partner to take full advantage of the time off their sergeant had given them. "Me? What are you doing here?" he deflected while closing the personnel file on his desk.

"I asked you first," Jackie frowned at the obvious move to hide whatever he was looking at.

"I'm, uh, working on something," Danny shrugged as he reclined back casually in his chair.

"That's not an answer," Jackie pointed out.

"Yeah, it was. Now, what are you doing here?" Danny persisted.

"I was bored at home," she replied as she continued to observe his squirrelly behavior. "And somehow my spidey sense was telling me you were here...and I was right."

"You need a life, Curatola," Danny declared with a roll of his eyes.

"Right back at you, Reagan."

"Oh, I have a life. It just keeps getting interrupted by one thing or another," Danny huffed. Linda hadn't been pleased about him coming in to work on his day off, but he had filled her in on the family meeting after they'd returned home from Sunday dinner and she understood...she always understood. She knew all about Jamie; they had no secrets and he'd told her all about him early on in their relationship especially when she asked about the photograph of the smiling, toothless little baby sitting prominently amongst the other family photographs with the ever-present votive his mother kept lit by its side.

"Must make your wife happy," Jackie deadpanned.

"Linda's fine," Danny fired back. "She knew I needed to be here today."

"So what are you up to?" Jackie inquired.

"I can't really say," Danny answered remorsefully. He and his partner had already been through this, the trust thing and him keeping things from her after a secret assignment from the commissioner last year and here he was again, keeping something from a partner he trusted completely.

"What do you mean?" Jackie frowned again, feeling herself going back down a familiar road with him.

"It's for my old man," Danny stated quietly, hoping that would be enough.

"Oh." _Yup...same old road_ , she thought, but she still didn't hesitate to ask, "Something I can help you with?"

"Nah," Danny said with a tight smile.

"Come on partner," Jackie began, "you know you can trust me." She was determined to get him to let her in on whatever he was working on this time.

"Of course I know that, Jack, it's just...this is personal and it's not something we discuss with a lot of people. It's about family," he explained.

Jackie stared him down, but when it looked like he wasn't going to budge, she nodded her head sadly. "Okay," she conceded with a strained expression on her face. She was struggling not to show the hurt and disappointment she was feeling, but she figured that this was one of the many perks of working with the commissioner's kid that she just had to accept...lucky her.

Danny gritted his teeth...he hated this, all of this. And now he had a partner he trusted with his life mad at him again because he was carrying around another secret... _The hell with it!_ he decided. Jackie was family too, she would keep their secret to herself and anyway, maybe an objective opinion was needed here; they were all just too close to this. "Come on," he ordered as he shot out of his desk chair and headed to the opposite side of the squad room.

"Where are we going?" Jackie asked in confusion.

"Somewhere we can talk privately," Danny advised over his shoulder as he led her into the box. Jackie followed silently, unsure of what she had just gotten herself into, but she was secretly relieved he was going to let her in on whatever was going on. Once Danny closed the door behind her, he crossed his arms and eyed her seriously. "Okay, what I am about to tell you, it goes no further than this room," he warned her.

Jackie rolled her eyes again, annoyed that those words even needed to be spoken. "Come on, Reagan! I already told you that you can trust me! When have I ever let you down?!"

Danny knew she was right and threw his arms up in the air in a bout of frustration, but it was one of those things you just had to say before letting out a giant secret. "Never, alright! You've never let me down! I trust you with my life, okay, but this thing, we never discuss it 'cause it's painful, Jackie! And with what I'm looking into, if it got out before we even know what _it_ is, it would just be a mess for my dad...for all of us!" he vented.

"Jeez," Jackie whispered. "Just what are you into this time?"

"It's not bad...well, it kind of is...sad more than bad...it's...," Danny paused to let out a string of expletives, hating how easily this situation messed with his head. "Okay, I never told you about this but maybe you know about it ready...I had a little brother," he began.

"Joe," Jackie stated, confused by how he could think she didn't know about him, especially with the Templar investigation last year that got her banged up in a hit and run.

"No," Danny corrected. "Another little brother...Jamie," he revealed.

"Jamie?" Jackie repeated, searching her brain for any mention of that name by her partner. "You've never said -"

"Because he went missing when he was a baby, Jack," Danny interrupted as he perched atop the edge of the table, feeling the exhaustion from their last case wash down upon him. "He disappeared into thin air back in the late eighties...he was only six months old. It was big news because of my dad and grandpa, which I guess was good because it got the story out there, not that it did a hell of a lot of good in the end. After months of looking and no leads, it just became a cold case my dad clung to."

"I'm sorry, Danny."

"Thanks," he nodded.

"So what's brought this up now?" Jackie asked gently.

"Remember the cop that got shot last week?"

"Yeah."

"My dad went to check on him and...," Danny began to explain but stopped suddenly and frowned, knowing the rest of this was going to sound as crazy as it had when it came out of his father's mouth...maybe more so to his partner.

"And?" Jackie urged him along.

"He got this feeling that he could be -"

Jackie's eye's widened as the pieces quickly fell together. "Your long lost brother?!" she blurted out.

"Keep it down, Jack!" he ordered as he looked out into the squad room to make sure she hadn't drawn the attention of any lookey-loos. Satisfied that no one was paying them any attention, he nodded when he turned back towards his partner, waiting for the rest of it becuase he knew she wasn't done.

"And he thinks he's found him working here? In his very own department?" Jackie asked in a harsh whisper.

"I know it sounds crazy, Jack. I mean, what the hell are the odds, right? But you should see him!" Danny said as his hopes grew each time he looked at James Riordan's photo, but he was too afraid to admit it. "I saw a photo and he's exactly like Joe and he's the same age that Jamie would have been. And..."

"And what?" Jackie pressed gently at the expression on his face...it wasn't one she saw often on Danny Reagan.

"My old man's gut is telling him something's up with this kid and if we could bring Jamie home..." He left the rest of his sentence unfinished. She knew what it meant to be able to bring closure to something like this.

Jackie's face softened. "I get it, Danny. I do. I would just hate to see you and your family disappointed if nothing comes from this, if he's not who you're hoping he is," she said.

"So do I, Jackie, believe me. But I gotta try, for my dad at least. My mom and Joe died never knowing what happened to him. If I could give the rest of us some answers, then I gotta try, regardless of how crazy this already sounds," Danny said, his eyes begging her to understand.

Jackie looked long and hard at her partner before jumping on board. "Okay. So what do you need me to do?"

Danny's head jutted back in confusion.

"Come on, Reagan. I'm here. You might as well put me to work," Jackie insisted with a smirk. "And mum's the word," she promised.

Danny grinned at his partner and opened the door of the interrogation room so that they could get to work. "Thanks, Jack."

"No problem. So where do I start?" she asked while settling down into her desk chair.

"Erin and I split up the work. She's running background on his mother and I'm running the kid. I just started running his name and social through some databases to look for anything on him. Maybe something will jump out at us."

"You had CODIS up when I came in. Why are you bothering with that? They would have run him through the system when he applied to the academy," Jackie reasoned.

"I just want to cover all my bases," Danny proclaimed.

"Leaving no stones unturned."

"Yeah," Danny confirmed.

"So tell me which ones you need running and I'll get started over here."

* * *

 _We're moving fast with the family gathering together again in the next update to go over everything Danny and Erin were able to find on the Riordans._


	7. Chapter 7

_It was funny how many messages I received from people happy to see Jackie involved in this story. She was Danny's best partner in my opinion and she'll have a few more appearances in later chapters. :)_

Chapter 7

"You know, she's all smiles now but my wife is going to have my hide later for leaving her and the kids to make dinner on their own again," Danny predicted as he, Erin, Henry and Frank congregated in the dining room the following week. The younger Reagans already had some files spread out in front of them ready to report their findings.

"That's why I got the Salduccis to sell me their pizza dough. All they gotta do is roll'em out and pile on the toppings," Henry said. He felt a little guilty about shirking his cooking duties again, but he'd been waiting all week to hear something from his grandchildren on this Riordan kid.

"I think you may be scraping dough off the ceiling later, dad. Sean's getting all fancy in there tossing his into the air," Erin warned her father with a look of amusement as Linda's voice carried through the closed door as she tried to bring the boys' dough tossing competition to a halt.

"That's my boy...master of disaster," Danny grinned as he fiddled with the edge of a file.

"I'll let her know she's off kitchen duty for the next several weeks," Frank announced before drawing a deep breath and nodding at the items on the table. "So down to the business at hand. I know you both had pretty hectic weeks. I wasn't expecting either of you to have any time to look into Jimmy and his family," he said as he folded his hands on the table to still them.

"We found some interesting things in the short amount of time we had to search," Erin said while sending her brother a look. They had met up yesterday to compare all of the information they'd dug up on Officer Riordan and his mother. Neither of them were sure what to make of it and they wondered how their father would take it. "We can jump to some crazy conclusions...already have actually, but we just don't know what it really means yet."

Danny looked nervously between the others before confessing something to them. "Before we begin, I just wanted to let you know that Jackie helped me out on my end."

"You told her?" Erin asked with a glance back to her father. Jamie's kidnapping wasn't a secret but she knew her father preferred not to discuss it outside the family, especially when they were conducting their own little investigation into one of his men.

"I had to, alright! She caught me at the squad running a search on my day off. You know how tough things got between me and her after the Sammy Khan case," Danny argued as he gazed at his father, praying he would understand his predicament and that he could trust Jackie as much as he did. This was a sensitive family matter, but he couldn't leave his partner out in the dark again. Lucky for him, Frank nodded in understanding right away. He was already asking a lot of his kids with having them sniff around James Riordan's life so that he could keep most of this out of 1PP.

"What case was that?" Erin wondered out loud.

"Need to know, honey," Frank smiled apologetically.

"And I don't need to know...I get it," Erin sighed, knowing well enough to leave those top secret police matters alone.

Danny sighed in relief. "Anyhow, I trust her with my life and I trust her with this. She won't say a word," he assured them in case there were any doubts.

"I know she won't," Frank replied. He was now more eager to get to it. "So what'd you find on Jimmy?" He'd only met him twice and a part of him hoped they wouldn't find anything damaging while the rest of him clung to a decades old hope for a miracle - a chance to hold the son he never had the chance to know.

"More like what did Jackie find, she got the interesting hit," Danny advised, but he didn't want to get too ahead of himself just yet and decided to start at the beginning. "So I started by running his name and social through every database I knew...criminal - "

"Criminal?" Henry interrupted. "The department would have found something on him when he applied to the academy if he had a record," he reminded him just like Jackie had.

"I know that, pops. And nothing came up on the databases I ran, not so much as a freaking parking ticket. But I used every resource available to me, regardless of whether it's been run in the past. When I started coming up with nada, I switched to what we had in his file. I must have that kid's academy application questionnaire memorized, I mean, have you seen that thing lately? It's gotten worse. You gotta list every single detail of your life down to the brand of formula you drank as a baby," Danny complained.

"You should see the bar application," Erin commented as she sorted through the pile of paperwork she'd brought with her.

"I took a look at Jimmy's school transcripts that were submitted with his academy application paperwork too, nothing looked hinky," Danny continued. "I wanted to work my way backwards, see whether everything he lists in his records has been consistent, but nothing was really off...kid's smart as hell too, has a thing for making class valedictorian."

"That's what I keep hearing," Frank said as he grew more curious on what Danny and Erin had found.

"The mother is the only family he listed in his application and she's the only emergency contact in his file, but you already knew that. In the section of the academy questionnaire where you list family, he put unknown for his father and paternal grandparents and deceased for the other grandparents. And where you put everyone you've ever resided with, none other than the mother. Everyone he put down as a reference was either a teacher, professor or employer. It seems like it's literally been him and his mother all of his life."

"That's an unfortunate thing," Henry remarked. He couldn't imagine a life without a large family surrounding you but there was something to be said for a strong supportive mother who took on the role of both parents for the sake of her child and he hoped the Riordan kid had that at least.

Danny nodded in agreement and proceeded. "For the section on government assistance and whether he's ever received it, he declared he was a recipient via his mother throughout his childhood."

"I called in a favor to get a look at that file, to see if there's anything interesting there. It'll let us know what the mother reported to the agency when she applied for assistance...you know, like employment, income, whether they moved around, etc.," Erin cut in.

"Wow. You guys are thorough," Henry praised, not that he was surprised, but he never got tired of seeing them at work.

Danny smirked at his grandfather before turning serious again. "This here is where things started to get weird. Jackie ran his social security number through the death index."

"Death index?" Frank repeated. That was something he wouldn't have considered looking at.

"I told you I was covering all of my bases, especially after I got zilch on everything else I started with," Danny explained.

"What did she find?" Henry prompted.

Danny looked his father in the eyes because this was when he began to seriously jump on board with his father's theory. "She got a hit."

"A hit?"

Danny handed the death certificate Jackie had pulled over to his father. "Death index shows Riordan's social security number as belonging to an Aaron Hood, six month old boy who died of pneumonia at Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo one month before Jamie was taken.

"How is that possible?" Henry asked himself. "Some sort of agency screw-up?"

Danny shrugged and went further. "So I pulled that baby's birth certificate too and compared it to Riordan's," he explained as he placed the two birth certificates side by side.

Frank leaned in to review both documents closely. "Same date of birth...city and county...hospital...that's not completely unusual," he commented as he looked through the first demographics mentioned in the first section of both records.

"But the same exact time of birth and delivering OB is unusual unless he delivered those kids side by side," Danny argued, pointing to the bottom of the certificates.

"How can he have a deceased baby's social security number? Wouldn't that have popped up somewhere along the way with everything being electronic these days?" Henry wondered.

"Not necessarily, pops. A social security number won't typically flag as long as it's not being used by multiple people and the true bearer of the number is not alerted to the fact that it's being used, even in the digital age," Erin explained.

"With what I found, I'm thinking Riordan's is a fake," Danny said, waiting for a reaction, but his father remained expressionless as he continued to examine the records.

Erin noticed her father's lack of emotion as well and moved on to share what she had learned while he quietly processed what he was hearing and waited for more. "What the department has on file is only a copy, but while I was looking at it, something hit me and I decided to check the registrar's name on the bottom of the birth certificate. The paper itself comes preprinted with the seal and signature of the registrar in place at the time it's issued."

"And?" Henry questioned.

Frank already knew what Erin was alluding to. "Exactly what she just said, the registrar on his birth certificate doesn't match up with the one that held that position during the date it was issued," he said as Erin nodded her confirmation.

"The registrar on his certificate held that title two years prior to James Riordan's birth," Erin said.

"Identity theft back then wasn't what it was today, but it still happened," Frank commented.

"You know the right people with access to the health department or a medical records department at any hospital or doctor's office..." Erin began with her father finishing the thought for her.

"And you got a chance at building a life around someone else's identity."

"You got yourself a new identity using a dead baby's information," Danny said while shaking his head in disgust before he revealed one more discovery. "I then checked directly with the Department of Health and there is no record of a James Riordan born in Buffalo, New York on January 3rd, 1988."

Both Henry and Frank looked dumfounded. Frank began to wonder whether he just had a cop in the department with a false identity or if his gut really was right. Had his boy been under his nose for the past few years without even knowing it?

"I haven't even told you what I found on the mother," Erin said softly as she saw the emotions begin to flash across her father's face.

"I think I need a drink first," Henry exhaled as he glanced at Frank.

"Make it two, pop," Frank requested.

"Bring the bottle," Danny ordered. With a finger of scotch on its way to being consumed by each of them, the foursome continued with their meeting.

"What did you find, Erin?" Frank urged her along, needing to get to the bottom of all of this.

"Sherry Riordan, age 51; born and raised in Buffalo, high school drop out," Erin said as she began laying out a large printout of the woman's driver's license next to several other documents.

Frank picked up the photo and stared into a pair of cold gray-blue eyes belonging to a woman he had never seen before in his life yet he was certain she'd have more of an impact than any other.

"She has a record, small things like possession and disorderly conduct when she was a teenager. Everything I found on her placed her in Buffalo until this assault charge popped up on her record at the age of 27," she shared as she tapped a finger on an arrest report. "She was brought in for assaulting a boyfriend in Brooklyn on December 30, 1987. Charges were dropped when the boyfriend refused to pursue them."

"That places her in the city in 1987," Frank reiterated.

"It was still months before Jamie was taken," Henry pointed out, knowing it wasn't enough to figure out if she was somehow involved in Jamie's kidnapping. What he was certain of was that she had been up to no good raising a child with a false identity, but it left them wondering if the kid knew anything about it as well.

"I wasn't done," Erin said as she flipped to another report. "She had another assault charge against the same boyfriend one week before Jamie disappeared, also in Brooklyn," she reported. "And again, the boyfriend declined to press charges."

"She was still here," Frank whispered as he wrung his hands together.

"This is weird," Danny muttered under his breath as he skimmed the first arrest report.

"What is?" Erin asked.

"The first assault arrest in '87, she would have been heavily pregnant at that time, I mean that was just days before James Riordan was allegedly born according to his fake birth certificate," Danny commented.

"Yeah," Erin agreed.

"So, there's no mention of it in the arrest report."

Frank nodded. "It would have been noted and she would have been given special treatment because of her condition and if she would have been involved in an altercation at almost nine months pregnant, she would have been taken to the hospital and not to central holding," Frank explained before turning to his father. "It became department policy to handle pregnant women more carefully after that infant death in White Plains in the seventies."

"That's right," Henry confirmed.

"Anything else?" Frank asked.

"Nothing until a year later, when she's already back in Buffalo and picked up on another possession charge for marijuana."

"And Jamie was gone by then," Henry said sadly.

"Yes, but when she got picked up this time, she was with her nineteen-month-old son and Child Protective Services got involved as well. He went into their custody while she sorted out the arrest. Pled down in exchange for community service and submitting to a drug counseling program."

"And the boy?" Henry inquired.

"Returned to her after one home visit," Erin reported.

"One visit?!" Henry snapped.

"You know how it is, gramps," Erin said. "The social worker reported the home as 'extremely modest but adequate and clean' and that the child is 'small for his age but otherwise healthy, does not appear malnourished, abused or neglected.'"

"How would they know? It's not like the poor kid could speak for himself," Henry grumbled over an inept system, feeling an inexplicable surge of protectiveness for that child.

"As long as Sherry completed the counseling program, they didn't see a reason to keep him permanently away from her. We see it all the time," Danny said.

"After that, she kept her nose clean with the cops, but Riordan's name popped up three more times in CPS reports, the first because a four-year-old Jimmy was found playing at a neighborhood playground all on his own. Another resident from their building recognized him and took him home and later reported her; the woman was concerned that he was out alone and was more upset by what she described as a 'lack of concern.'"

"Nice," Danny sneered.

"Then from concerned teachers about the mother's 'lack of interest' and possible neglect..."

"There's a definite pattern forming," Henry growled.

"...with complaints that he often was sent to school without a packed lunch or lunch money, concern over the fact that he often left to walk home by himself when his mother would not show - that complaint came when he was six - in addition to lacking the proper clothing and shoes. CPS followed up on the complaints. All of the reports noted the parent was a 'single, working mother with no other source of income but a minimum wage job and government assistance'...'child is provided with adequate care' and again, not malnourished, abused, etc.," Erin recited from one report.

"I bet you $100 she switched schools on the kid anytime his teachers started meddling in their affairs like that," Danny said.

"Do you believe me now?" Frank asked solemnly.

"There's something here, dad, but - " Erin worried.

"But you're afraid of finding out in the end that this isn't our Jamie," Frank finished for her.

Erin nodded.

"So am I," Frank said and drew in a deep breath. "We need more."

"I'll meet up with him like you suggested, dad," Danny volunteered, willing to do anything to get that look off his father's face.

Frank nodded as a thought occurred to him. "Jamie had a birthmark on his right shoulder."

Erin smiled fondly as a memory came to her. "I remember it. It was light brown and shaped like a football. Joe said it meant he was destined to play for the Jets one day."

"I remember that too," Danny smiled as he thought of both his brothers when a frown suddenly fell across his face. "I was gonna tell the kid to meet me for drinks, but there's no way I'll be able to get him to undress over a beer to check."

Frank knew there was only one thing that would prove him right or wrong, but he couldn't just go up to this young man and ask him for a sample of his DNA on the off chance he was his long, lost son. And to do it behind his back didn't feel right either. Even he was beginning to feel guilty about looking into his past without his knowing.

"Dad said he plays basketball. Why don't you invite him to one of your games? Maybe he'll wear a sleeveless shirt or he'll change at some point," Erin suggested.

"Kid's still healing from a gunshot wound. I don't think he'll be ready to shoot hoops for a week or two at least."

"What about DNA?" Henry asked what Frank was hesitant to bring up.

"I don't know that we have enough to ask him for that. And to let him know what we suspect because he looks like Joe? We can't do that," Frank replied.

"Danny's gonna have drinks with him," Erin said, "why not grab the glass?"

"We'd know one way or another, that's for sure," Danny said.

"See how it goes when you meet up with him first, Danny," Frank instructed, unwilling to take the DNA without letting the young man know...or perhaps he was just afraid of being disappointed again.

* * *

 _There you have it...hope that wasn't information overload but I figured that's as much as the pair would be able to pull in a few days time. Let me know what you all think!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Here it is, Danny's first - and second - encounter with Officer James Riordan. Even Erin has her own unexpected run-in with Jimmy in the next chapter as the family continues to investigate Sherry Riordan's past._

Chapter 8

"So where is he?" Jackie asked as she followed her partner out of the elevator and back onto the first floor of the Twelfth Precinct after having searched the building for Officer James Riordan.

"I don't know, Jack," Danny replied in frustration as he walked back through the main hallway to search the first floor once more. He'd been certain he'd find him here somewhere manning the phones or doing some equally monotonous task. "My old man said he was working the day tour today. He's supposed to be chained to a desk until the doc clears him for full duty."

"We've been all over this precinct and we have yet to find him. Just call him to set up the meet," Jackie suggested when they came to a stop near the entrance of the precinct. Her partner scanned the officers coming and going in the hopes that he'd spot the person they were looking for.

"Out of the blue?" Danny asked.

"What do you mean out of the blue? The commissioner already gave you an in, painting you as some kind of guidance counselor, didn't he?" she reminded him and couldn't refrain from smirking at that description.

"What's so funny about that?" Danny frowned. "The kid wants to be detective. I'm a good detective!" he declared.

Jackie rolled her eyes at how sensitive her partner could be at times. "Yes, Reagan. You are a _great_ detective, but a patient teacher you are not."

"What's there to teach? He just wants the ins and outs of what it takes."

"You need to make sure you keep the spiel going on 'earning your gold shield 101' otherwise you'll have nothing to keep him engaged with at first. Then, once he gets comfortable, you start in on the getting to know you part of the date...so you don't have to come right out and ask, 'hey, we related?'"

Was she serious? "I actually know how to engage people in conversation, Jackie. That's what makes me so good in the box," he scowled.

"Okay," Jackie said as she held up her hands and backed off from offering her irritable partner any more advice.

"Christ...should have left you at the 5-4," Danny grumbled as he debated on whether to throw in the towel on today's search for Riordan. He wanted to get a good look at the kid before they met up to chat. If he was a dead ringer for Joe in person like his father said he was, he preferred not to get caught off guard right before he starts questioning the kid on his life. He'd obviously seen the resemblance in the photo, but seeing him in person might prove to be more shocking, as evidenced by his father's description of his own reaction to that first meeting in the hospital.

"And miss out on seeing the kid for myself? No way!" Jackie argued, but said nothing more as she saw the battle raging on in her partner's head about what to do next. Instead, she leaned back against the wall and waited for him to decide.

Danny was just about ready to pack it up and head back to their squad when a few faces coming down the hall caught his attention and his jaw dropped. "I think that's him," he whispered once he found his voice.

"Where?" Jackie asked as she pushed off the wall and stood next to Danny searching the crowd.

"Right there, walking back with Renzulli," Danny trailed off, definitely more awed at seeing the resemblance in person. "Yeah...oh, wow."

"Wow, is right. Kid's _really_ cute," Jackie commented without really thinking. It probably wasn't the right thing to say at that moment, but she was still a little put off by the glare her partner was giving her. "What? I'm a girl. I can't help but notice these things!"

"A little young for you, isn't he?" Danny sniped.

"You calling me old, Reagan?" she huffed.

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head, definitely not wanting to go there right now...or ever. "Never mind. I said 'wow' because...man, he really looks like a younger version of Joe, just like when he first went on the job," he explained as Renzulli and his partner headed into the roll call room.

Jackie waited for her partner to make his move, but he seemed conflicted. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Danny countered.

"Go over there and start engaging, detective," she ordered. "Set up the happy hour before Ghormley starts looking for us. We bailed on a pile of reports to come find the kid and the commissioner can only do so much to cover for us without raising suspicions."

"Okay," Danny nodded as he wiped his suddenly sweaty palms down the sides of his coat. Why the hell was he so nervous?

"Okay," Jackie repeated with a knowing smile. It was amusing to see her usually unflappable partner looking so off kilter, but for his sake and the sake of his family, she prayed that they found what they were searching for.

"Here goes nothing," he said as he went off to find Riordan, with his partner following at a distance so she could observe while offering them a little privacy.

"Sergeant Renzulli, good to see you," Danny called out as he stuck his head in the doorway, glancing at the younger officer quickly before focusing on the older man.

"Hey! Detective! Good to see you too, it's been a while. What brings you down to the Twelfth?" Renzulli greeted, surprised to see the detective in his house as he reached out to shake Danny's hand.

"Had to come see Lindeman about a case we're working," Danny fibbed with a nervous glance back at his partner who nodded her confirmation from the doorway.

"Oh, yeah?" Renzulli asked as his brow furrowed suspiciously, to which the detective smiled tightly. It wasn't until he saw Danny looking over at Jimmy with an inquisitive eye that he remembered that he hadn't been alone. "Have you two met?" he asked while glancing between the two younger men.

"No," Jimmy answered.

"Nope," Danny shook his head.

Something about Danny's surprise visit to the precinct felt off, but Renzulli couldn't put his finger on it, so he pushed that thought to the side and made the proper introductions. "Detective Daniel Reagan, meet my partner, Officer James Riordan."

Jimmy's eyes widened a bit upon hearing the name, surprised to be actually meeting the man so soon after the commissioner's impromptu visit last week.

"Oh...hey, yeah. It's good to meet ya," Danny replied, as if just making a connection. "I heard about what happened. It's good to see that you're back on the job already, " he said while shaking the officer's hand.

"Thanks, but it's just limited duties for now," Jimmy answered nervously.

"Yeah, kid's jumping out of his skin to get back out on the streets. I'm not sure he's cut out for an office job."

"Most cops aren't, Sarge," Danny commented.

"Renzulli!" a lieutenant barked from the doorway. All three men turned to see the lieutenant departing without waiting for a response from Renzulli.

"Gimme a minute, kid, and we'll finish up those reports," he instructed as he handed a few files over to Jimmy.

"Sure thing, sarge."

"Detective, good seeing you," Renzulli said with a friendly pat to Danny's shoulder, leaving the two men alone as he chased after his boss.

"You too, sarge." Danny cleared his throat nervously as he turned back towards an equally uncomfortable officer. "So that must have been some scare last week, huh?" he asked to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, not something I want to experience ever again if I can help it," Jimmy answered, his eyes shooting down to the folders and paperwork in his hands.

"Let's hope not, kid," Danny said and used the excuse his father had provided to set up a more private meeting. "The commissioner told me a little about you, actually, after he checked in on you...said you wanted to be a detective."

"Yeah, someday I guess," Jimmy confirmed shyly, "but I know that's a long ways away."

"You've been on the force for what? Two years now?"

"Not quite, but almost."

"Listen," he said, turning to see Jackie still waiting by the door, "I gotta get back to my squad before my sergeant rips me a new one, but I'm free later if you want to grab a beer and talk shop."

"You sure?" Jimmy asked, shocked that Detective Reagan was actually offering to meet. "The commissioner said you'd be willing to, but I figured he was just being polite. I don't want to be a bother."

"Listen, kid, if there's one thing you should know it's that the commissioner never says anything just to be polite and yeah, I'm willing if you are," Danny assured him.

"Okay, yeah," Jimmy nodded, trying to hold back a grin, but failing miserably and it was that lop-sided smile that struck Danny next. "That would be really great, detective."

"Alright then. Sully's at six? I'll buy the first round, you earned at least that much with that bullet you took."

"Alright. I'll be there," Jimmy smiled.

"Okay. See you later, kid," Danny said with a wave as he turned to meet his partner.

"So? You all set?" Jackie asked with a smirk as they headed down the steps of the precinct.

"All set...and what are you smiling about?" he frowned.

"Nothing," Jackie shrugged. "It was cute watching you two. Not sure who was more nervous, the rookie or the detective," she laughed.

"Shut it, Curatola."

* * *

Jimmy drained the last of his beer, unsure if he'd drank it too quickly to calm his nerves or if he'd been waiting on Detective Reagan a lot longer than he realized. The other man was 20 minutes late and Jimmy had no way of getting a hold of him to find out if he was still coming, not that he would bother to call him anyway...Jimmy was starting to think he'd been right all along, the detective probably had a lot more important things than to sit around with a rookie. He was just getting ready to pay his tab when the door to the bar flew open.

Danny rushed into the busy pub, spotting Jimmy sitting alone at the far end of the bar and cursed his job for tenth time that day and his oversight in getting the kid's number earlier in the day - either directly from him or from the personnel file he'd left back at the squad. "Sorry, Officer Riordan," he apologized as he slid onto the barstool next to him and signaled the bartender to bring them two more, feeling worse after he saw the empty glass. It hadn't been his intention to have the kid sit around drinking the first round alone while he waited for him to arrive, but he was thankful that he hadn't left.

"Oh, hey, detective. You can call me Jimmy and it's fine, no worries," he replied, still thinking that maybe this was an imposition. Jimmy wondered if he should just give him an out and let him go on his way. "We can do this another day if the timing's bad."

"Well then, you can call me Danny and it looks like I'll be picking up the first two rounds for you," he said, nodding his thanks to the bartender when he placed two freshly-poured drafts in front of them. "And tonight is a good night for this, trust me. Still though," he said, lifting his glass to tap it against Riordan's, "we finally got a lead on a suspect that turned into another useless trip uptown and traffic back down here was...well, you know how it is," he explained before taking a long drink from his glass. "Man, that's good!"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Jimmy assured him. He took a few large gulps of his second beer to hide his discomfort despite the calming effects from the first pint.

"Well, you'll see how it is one day when you're a detective."

"Oh...yeah...well, I hope to," Jimmy stammered, knowing that wasn't a guarantee. "But I hear it's almost impossible to get your shield without a hook," he commented innocently, but stiffened at the questioning look he received from Danny. "Oh, uh, I didn't mean that you used one or that you didn't earn yours," he backpedaled.

"Relax, Jimmy," Danny smiled. Something about the kid's mannerisms struck him this time and he was instantly reminded of not only Joe, but of his father as well. "I know what you meant. And you're kind of right, some people do get their gold shields with a hook while others really have to earn it, but even that requires that you find yourself a rabbi."

"I've heard that too. I figured that would be the only way I'll make detective." He certainly had no hook in this department.

"Yeah. You find someone to mentor you, steer you in the right direction and throw your name into the running and you're golden. But there's still a lot of work for you to do."

"I'm not afraid of that, the hard work I mean," Jimmy said as he continued to sip his beer.

"No? Not used to having things handed to you, Jimmy?" Danny said in a lighter tone.

Jimmy laughed humorlessly. "Far from it," he scoffed. That was one thing no one could ever accuse him of.

"Well, I hear you. You know, sometimes people assume that because my dad and grandpa are life long blue bloods at the top of the food chain, that I've had everything handed to me on a silver platter, as far as my career is concerned anyway...hell, people probably assume that about my whole life," Danny said as he looked straight ahead into the mirror behind the bar, catching both of their reflections. Danny wondered if it was just their suspicions playing tricks on him or if they really could pass for brothers. "It couldn't be farther from the truth," he added.

"Really?" Jimmy blurted out, the filter between his brain and his mouth failing him again, as it usually did when he drank.

"See, maybe you thought that too," Danny snorted.

"Oh, I didn't mean - " Jimmy panicked, afraid he'd already insulted the PC's kid.

"Nah, don't worry about it, kid. If I were on the outside looking in, I might think the same thing too. But my old man, my grandpa even, have always been about hard work and standing up on your own two feet...cleaning up your own messes too. And I wouldn't have it any other way," Danny declared.

Jimmy nodded, secretly jealous of the childhood Danny must have had with Frank Reagan as his father. "The commissioner's a stand up guy. He's the reason I chose the NYPD," he admitted.

"Oh yeah? How so?" Danny asked, feeling like Jimmy was loosening up a bit with each drink he took from his glass.

"I always new I wanted to be a cop...for as long as I can remember," Jimmy said as he turned his glass around repeatedly between his hands.

That made Danny wonder if it was in his blood like it was theirs. "Really? How'd that come about though? I mean it's obvious with me, it's all I saw and heard growing up. Was anyone in your family a cop?"

"Oh, no," Jimmy shook his head emphatically. "It was just me and my mom when I was growing up."

"No brothers or sisters?" Danny questioned. He already knew the answer to that question, but still asked.

"No."

"Dad?" Danny pressed quickly and reminded himself this wasn't a perp he was interrogating.

Jimmy turned to study his glass as he shook his head.

"Oh, he passed?" Danny asked gently to see if he could draw out an answer.

Jimmy continued to focus on his glass. He never talked about his family with strangers but felt himself wanting to crack the seal on all that he kept locked up tight with the detective for some reason. "No, ah, he didn't want anything to do with us, so..."

Danny's heart clenched at the pain those words carried and sensed that he wasn't lying, not knowingly at least. "Sorry to hear that, Jimmy."

"It's fine. Can't miss what you don't have, right?" Jimmy replied with a forced smile.

"I guess," Danny said, despite the fact that he didn't believe that, but he felt bad for him and decided to switch back to what they had originally been discussing. "So what made you want to be a cop? There had to be something."

"Brandon Maloney," Jimmy smiled.

"Who's he?" Danny asked as he brought his glass up to his lips.

"My best friend in the fourth and fifth grades," he explained.

"What'd he do? Force you to play cops and robbers? Watch one too many episodes of _Cops_?"

"His dad was a cop. I hung out at his house all the time, practically lived there," Jimmy said. "He used to tell us stories all the time even though Brandon's mom told him not to. She thought we were too young to hear his war stories. He'd tone them down for us, of course, but still, we listened to him tell us about some of the things he'd do, the people he'd help...that was it for me, I preferred to hear him tell us those stories over watching TV or playing video games. I guess I kind of wanted to be like him," Jimmy said sheepishly. Wanted to be like him, have a father like him...the Maloneys were like family to him and they practically adopted him as their own, feeling more at home with them during those few years than he did at his own house, a fact that had irked his mother to no end which he never understood. She hated that Brandon was his best friend and that his father was a cop for some reason. But like all things, that came to an end when the Maloneys moved away at the end of fifth grade.

Danny nodded in understanding, feeling the same way as a kid growing up with his dad and grandfather. Maybe Jimmy was wrong, you could miss what you never had. It sounded like he probably saw Brandon Maloney's father as something of a father figure, but he wasn't going to go there right now either. "So what'd you mean when you said you chose the NYPD because of my dad?" He needed to keep the kid talking. Danny wasn't going to solve this mystery tonight, _not without physical proof,_ he reminded himself as he glanced at Jimmy's near empty pint glass. It would be so easy to walk out of this place with it if he did things right.

"I grew up in Buffalo, stuck around after high school and went to college too...with the cost of school, it was just easier to stay home, go to a state school. But after graduation, I really didn't want to stick around there anymore, it just didn't feel like home." It never had.

Danny's head turned toward Jimmy when he said those last words.

"And I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure of where to go. I started looking up departments all over the east coast. I probably overanalyzed it," he said.

"It's the rest of your life, Jimmy. That's not a decision you should have made on a whim," Danny said.

"I guess...anyway, Commissioner Reagan has by far the best reputation of any commissioner or chief out there. Plus it's New York City, you know? Who wouldn't want to come here and start a new life," Jimmy paused and grimaced at how cheesy that came out. "I'm sorry, that sounds real stupid, doesn't it?" He was a total rookie.

"Not at all. That's why I've never been able to leave this place. Nothing compares to it."

"And you got to grow up here to boot. Must have been pretty great," Jimmy assumed, at least compared to his childhood.

"Yeah, it was something alright," Danny nodded. Even with everything that happened to them as a family, they still managed to stick together and he was very lucky in that regard. A lot of other families would have fallen apart completely after losing a child.

Jimmy threw back the last of his beer, placing the empty glass in front of him. "So what kind of things should I be trying to do now if I want to make detective?" he asked. They'd gotten off track, although he felt oddly comfortable talking to Danny, but maybe that was the beer. Most people couldn't get two words out of him when the questions were too personal.

Danny eyed the glass, wondering if he should call it a night so he could sneak off with it. He was just about to utter the first lame excuse that came to mind when the overly-efficient bartender snatched the empty glass and placed it in the small sink behind the bar. _Damn it!_ Danny cursed inwardly.

"Can I get you guys another round?" the bartender asked.

Danny was just about to order another when Jimmy answered first. "No, I'm good."

"You sure? Come on, kid, I'm buying," he encouraged him, hoping for another chance to grab a sample of Jimmy's DNA. It would be easier and quicker than beating around the bush waiting for some definitive clue to pop up out of nowhere.

"Thanks, but I've already had two and I gotta work in the morning," Jamie answered.

"Alright," Danny sighed as Jimmy looked on, still waiting on the career advice. He'd have to play along for now. "So what you gotta start doing now..."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Erin was fully engrossed in a witness deposition for a money laundering case she was prosecuting when Robin Leigh, one of the newer and youngest members of the DA's office came knocking on her office door.

"Ms. Reagan? I'm sorry to disturb you," Robin apologized as she cracked open the door.

"It's alright, Robin. Come on in. And I told you to call me Erin," she instructed as she suspiciously eyed the pile of files in the younger woman's arms along with the look of trepidation on her face.

"Erin," she nodded, "Mr. Davidson asked me to bring you these files."

Erin frowned; she wasn't expecting any new files, not with her caseload already being what it was. "Which files would those be?"

"The Michael Shay file...the officer-involved shooting."

Erin's frown deepened. She knew very well who Michael Shay was and knew more than she ever thought she would about the officer he shot. "Why's he sending that to me? Greg is lead on the case," she wondered as she stepped over to the work table in the corner of her office where Robin was laying out the files.

"Mr. Davidson just got called out of the office a short while ago, some medical emergency with his father in North Carolina," Robin explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Erin commented when realization hit. "Wait, so what? He wants me to handle it?!"

"That's what he said. He said he'd be available by phone, if needed, but that it was pretty straight forward. All of the information you need is in the file. And considering that it was an officer who was injured, it wouldn't look good to delay the proceedings on an open and shut case like this."

"Yes, I'm familiar with the incident, but I can't prosecute this case," Erin said.

That caught the young attorney by surprise. "Oh...why not?" she questioned before realizing that it probably wasn't her place to ask.

 _Because we're trying to figure out if James Riordan is my little brother!_ her mind screamed, but that was obviously not something she could reveal. Erin shook her head and cursed her luck. "Never mind," she relented...there was no way out of this now. "You were working on this case with Greg?"

"I was."

"So bring me up to date then," she ordered and took a seat at the work table.

"We're set to go before the grand jury on Thursday," Robin began before being interrupted.

"Thursday? This Thursday?!" she asked and received a nod of confirmation. "That's only two days for me to learn the file!" Erin complained, something that was unusual coming from her. Not only had a new case been dumped in her lap with only two days to prep, but she was now going to come face to face with James Riordan at some point.

"I'm sorry," Robin squeaked, wishing she wasn't at the very bottom of the totem pole, that's how she got stuck with the unfortunate task of messenger.

Erin was a little embarrassed by her reaction after she saw Robin's strained expression. "It's not your fault, Robin. But from the look on your face, I take it there's more," Erin guessed.

"The officers are due to arrive in an hour to prep for the grand jury," Robin advised hurriedly.

"Wait, what?! An hour!?" She only had an hour before she'd have to pretend she hadn't been scrounging around his and his mother's lives!

"Yes, uh, Officer Riordan is up first," Robin confirmed as she checked her notes, "followed by Sergeant Renzulli."

"Great," Erin sighed, resigned to the fact that she was going to come face to face with James Riordan. She had no time to freak out over that little gem and she forced herself to slip back into professional mode. "Alright...I guess I have no choice. Why don't you brief me and we'll go from there."

An hour later, Erin was alone in her office again finishing up with the witness statements in the Shay case when another knock sounded at the door. Erin stood and stared through the glass window for a few moments as Officer James Riordan stared back, politely waiting for permission to enter. It was the frown on his face that eventually snapped her out of her daze and she waved him in. She'd had the very same reaction to seeing him in person for the first time that both her father and Danny experienced and her mind traveled back to a time when Jamie had been the smiley little baby that she'd help care for under her mother's watchful eye. It was taking all of Erin's resolve not to tear up.

"Ms. Reagan?" Jimmy asked as he stepped over the threshold. He'd been surprised when he was sent down to ADA Erin Reagan's office; he thought he would be meeting with another prosecutor. And the last thing he expected was that he would be meeting with another member of the the Reagan family. It was a little funny that he seemed to be crossing paths with all of them so soon after the shooting, but chalked this meeting up to coincidence.

"Yes. Officer Riordan I presume," Erin said as she stood up from the table. She was fighting to keep her voice even and welcoming and her expression neutral, but on the inside she was feeling much the way her father was.

"Yes, ma'am," Jimmy replied, clearing his throat nervously as Erin approached. She was really pretty...and tall too and he was praying he didn't make a fool of himself. "They told me I should see you."

"Yes," Erin confirmed as she offered her hand. "The ADA assigned to your case was called away on a family matter. I've been assigned to it now. Have a seat, Officer Riordan."

"Oh, you can call me Jimmy if you want."

"Okay, Jimmy," Erin smiled back.

Jimmy nodded and cursed the blush he could feel rising on his cheeks. He took a seat at the table, clutching his cap in his lap to still his nervous hands. "I was surprised when they told me I should see you."

"And I was surprised when your case landed on my desk. I've heard your name mentioned a few times over the last several weeks by my father and my brother," she said. Seeing as how he was here now, there was nothing wrong with chatting him up a little to see if she could learn anything new.

"Really?" Jimmy squeaked and immediately admonished himself for acting like a schoolboy.

"Yes," Erin nodded. "You've made a good impression on them both."

Jimmy felt a full blush on his face now. "The commissioner, he, uh, came by to see me a few times after I got shot...it was a little nerve-wracking actually," he confessed.

"Yes, he tends to have that affect on people. Between you and me though," Erin leaned in to share a little secret, "he's nothing but a big teddy bear."

Jimmy laughed. "That's not a way I would describe him," he countered.

"And for the sake of your career, you probably shouldn't," Erin joked, "not in public, at least."

Jimmy laughed again, feeling his nerves settle a bit. "He hooked me up with your brother, Danny. He's been really great, giving me pointers on what I need to start doing now to get my gold shield some day."

"So I hear. They both think you'll do very well in that regard."

"I hope so," Jimmy replied shyly and was startled when his phone began to ring. He shot Erin an apologetic look as he quickly pulled the device from the large pocket on his thigh and clenched his jaw angrily when he checked the caller ID, quickly silencing it before stuffing it back into his pocket. "Sorry...I forgot to turn off the ringer," he said.

Erin didn't miss the flare of anger or how his jaw remained set even after he put the phone away. "It's okay. Did you need to take that?" she asked worriedly.

Jimmy shook his head and replaced the anger with a neutral expression. "No, it's just my mom. I can call her later," he advised.

 _That was an odd reaction to having your mother call_ , Erin thought. "You sure?" she asked. It would be interesting to hear how they interact, even if it was only one sided. "As a mom myself, I'm not a fan of my calls going unanswered by my daughter," she smirked.

"No, it's okay," he assured her. "I'm sure it's nothing important," Jimmy said, the friendliness in his tone gone now. _Never is,_ he thought. "I can call her when we're done."

Jimmy had clearly put up a wall around that issue as he remained bothered by the interruption. "Alright," Erin backed off. "Let's get started."

* * *

"Hey, Jimmy!" Renzulli called out when he saw his partner walking across the lobby towards him.

"Sarge," Jimmy smiled when he approached his TO.

"You all done with the DA?" Renzulli asked.

"Yup. There was a change in plans, though. ADA Davidson is off the case because of a family emergency or something. You have to see ADA Reagan now," Jimmy advised as people continued to buzz around the lobby of the DA's building.

"Oh yeah?" Renzulli asked, his brows crinkling curiously at unexpected news.

"Yeah. I just got finished with her," Jimmy said and became concerned by his boss's expression. "Something wrong, Sarge?"

"No, it's just funny is all," Renzulli shrugged.

"What is?" Jimmy wondered.

"We...or more like _you_ have been running into the Reagans a lot over the last several weeks," he noted. Something about that seemed odd to him.

"Yeah. I thought the same thing," Jimmy said, not that he minded. He respected the commissioner tremendously, having left home just for the chance to work for him. And Danny Reagan was turning into something of a mentor and, quite possibly, a friend. And Erin Reagan seems like a great prosecutor, he looked forward to seeing her in action in the courtroom. And she was obviously easy on the eyes, not that he'd say as much out loud, that felt wrong...Danny might beat him up or something.

"You still meeting up with Danny Reagan after tours?" Renzulli asked.

"Once in a while. Actually, I'm playing hoops with him in his Wednesday night league," Jimmy answered.

"Oh, yeah?" Renzulli shot back with an arched brow.

"Yeah. He needed an outside shooter," Jimmy explained.

Renzulli sighed...he supposed there was nothing wrong with that. The Reagans were good people and only good could come from hanging around them. "Well, good for you, I guess. You're still playing ball, huh? You know, I think you only stay in shape to make me feel fatter and older, right?"

"Gotta stay in shape in case somebody tries to bully you, sarge," Jimmy quipped.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, smart ass," Renzulli snorted with a pat to Jimmy's shoulder. "Get your butt back to the precinct. You'll be riding with Gonzalez for the rest of tour," he ordered.

"You got it, sarge," Jimmy replied and continued on his way out of the building. But he hadn't gotten more than ten feet outside the door when his phone vibrated in his pocket again. Jimmy's jaw clenched again, knowing who it was before he even got the phone out. "Hello?" he gruffed.

"Why haven't you been answering any of my calls?" a deep, gravelly female voice demanded.

"Hello to you too, mom," Jimmy greeted flatly.

"Where have you been?" Sherry Riordan snapped.

"Working, like I do everyday," he replied. It wasn't like he did anything else and she knew that.

"You know, you need to keep that attitude in check, buddy. You think you're so high and mighty now that you're a cop in the big city," she said.

Jimmy sighed. Sometimes he didn't know why he bothered to answer her calls, but she was his mother...

"I told you not to go there. It'll cause you nothing but trouble," Sherry warned, but not for the reason he thought. The last place in the world she wanted him to go was to New York City and now the damn kid was working in Manhattan for Frank Reagan, of all people, and living in Brooklyn. He was too damn stubborn and disrespectful to heed her warnings to stay in Buffalo...only ever thought about his damned self, just like every other man she'd ever met. His decision to move to the city was the first time he disobeyed her orders and she feared that she was slowly losing the control she'd had over him...it was bound to lead to trouble. At least the odds were on her side, with over 35,000 officers to oversee - according to what Jimmy had said - chances were the two would never meet. Jimmy didn't even come close to him during the graduation ceremony, not that she'd bothered going.

"What do you need this time, mom?" Jimmy asked, cutting to the chase to get this painful conversation done and over with.

"I'm short on the rent this month."

"What else is new," Jimmy sighed as he stepped to the far side of the building for some privacy. "What happened to the money I already sent you for the month?"

"I don't need lip from you! I just need $500 by Monday," Sherry fired back, avoiding his last question.

"$500!? I don't have that kind of spare cash laying around, mom! I barely get all my bills paid as it is with all the student loans I have on top of what I send home," Jimmy complained. Things were tight and he was even looking into moonlighting just to rid himself of the stress of living paycheck to paycheck.

"Another waste of your time and money," Sherry muttered.

"So you've said many, many times."

"You gonna help me or what?"

Jimmy let out a deep breath and looked up to the heavens, praying for more patience. "I'll see what I can do, but no promises. I really can't keep doing this every month."

"Some ungrateful son you are!" she shouted back. "I struggled to keep a roof over your head and food in your mouth and now you're off on your own and willing to leave me on the street, but you could probably care less."

"I could care less?!" he hissed as a flash of anger shot through him. "Where were you when the department tried calling you to let you know I got shot, huh?!" Seldom did he ever talk back like this, but he was reaching a point where he couldn't deal with his own mother anymore, even from across state.

"You're fine! They said so in the messages they left!" she argued lamely. She wanted absolutely no direct contact with the New York City Police Department. It was bad enough Jimmy became a cop, but when she learned he'd given them her name and telephone number for emergencies, she'd blown her top, much to his confusion. To Jimmy, it was more proof of how little she cared and another reason he was glad to be far from Buffalo. Thankfully she was no longer his emergency contact.

"So that makes it okay for you to ignore their repeated calls? What if there was a complication afterwards?"

"What the hell do you want, Jimmy?! Did you need me to kiss your boo boo and hold your hand?" she taunted, just like she did anytime he ever looked to her for some show of affection or simple concern. "Christ, I don't even have a way to get to the city! There's no way my car's getting me there! You know that!"

"Alright," Jimmy groaned with a frustrated shake of his head, his knuckles turning white with the stranglehold he had on his phone.

"You always were soft," Sherry hissed, throwing out one of her usual barbs.

He should be used to them, but they still managed to cut him. "Alright, I said! I'll see what I can do! I gotta get back to work!" he spat back before ending the call. Jimmy let out a groan of frustration and came close to throwing the phone but reminded himself that he was still out in public. He took several deep, cleansing breaths before he was ready to continue on to the precinct, his mind stuck on the same old conversation during the whole commute there... _Damn it, even from across the state she still makes me feel worthless._

* * *

 _There you have it, our first glimpse of Sherry Riordan...she's a real gem._

 _And was it wrong to turn Jimmy into an awkward schoolboy in front of Erin? He doesn't know any better, right? And Erin is a beautiful lady...that might come back as fodder for some brotherly teasing later on. :)_

 _Not sure if there will be an update tomorrow...I may be busy fanning my husband and feeding him grapes alongside the kids as he takes full advantage of a well deserved day of recognition...live it up honey, it only comes one time a year. ;)_


	10. Chapter 10

_A belated Happy Father's day to all of the dad's out there!_

Chapter 10

"I don't get it, Reagan," Jackie stated as her partner pulled the car along the curb of a quiet residential neighborhood in Queens.

"Get what?" Danny asked, shutting off the ignition and proceeding out of the car, eager to squeeze in this last witness interview into the work day before he called it quits and headed to his Wednesday night basketball league.

"Why not just get his DNA and test it against your dad? Get this all done and over with once and for all," she suggested.

"I was tempted, believe me, I really was, but I like the kid, Jack," Danny sighed.

"So?" she pushed when suddenly her expression softened. "You're afraid it could be another dead end, that you'd be back at square one the results aren't good," she guessed.

Danny shook his head while they walked side by side up to the porch of the small row house. "The opposite."

"I'm lost," Jackie conceded.

"I don't think any of us are willing to admit it to each other yet, but Jackie," Danny paused to face his partner, "I really think it's him. But we prove Jimmy Riordan is Jamie Reagan with a DNA test and then what?"

"Then you have your brother back," Jackie said. "It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Of course! But then we turn the kid's life upside down, tell him that everything he thought was real has been nothing but a big fat lie!" He didn't look forward to breaking that news to Jimmy once they were sure about who he was, because as happy as they'd be to know that they had finally found him alive and well, they'd be destroying everything he knew to be true. "And what's to say that he even wants to be a part of our family, huh?" Danny confessed his other worry.

"Are you kidding me?! Is that what you're worried about? You don't know for sure if he's yours yet, but you're already stressing over whether he'd want anything to do with you?"

"I don't know, Jack. Maybe that's part of it, but dad was right...it doesn't feel right to go snatching his DNA behind his back with everything we're already doing. And we can't ask him without knowing more for sure and laying it all out for him first."

"With everything you and your sister have found on this Sherry woman so far, she's gotta be in on the kidnapping," Jackie opined.

"I believe that too, but we need proof. That's why we're checking in with the boyfriend she assaulted twice," Danny said with a thumb aimed at the house behind him. "If Jimmy Riordan is my brother, and I'm still praying my gut's right, it doesn't end with just a DNA match." Danny had grown to really like the kid...he was smart and had a good head on his shoulders. Was he a little too green for his liking? Sure! But he was still young and it didn't seem like he'd had a lot of role models growing up, something that tore at Danny considering the kind of people that would have supported and nurtured him if he'd grown up in the Reagan household. And even with the crap childhood he'd had, he still turned out great which Danny partly attributed to good genes, another reason he had to be a Reagan.

"No it doesn't...you gotta put away the person responsible for taking him," Jackie added.

"Yeah," Danny agreed, determined to do just that. He climbed the steps to the porch and knocked on the door. They didn't have to wait long before a tall, dark-haired latino man opened the door.

"Roland Diaz?" Danny inquired.

"Yeah, that's me," Roland nodded with a look of suspicion. "Who are you?"

"Detectives Reagan and Curatola, NYPD," Danny announced with a flash of his badge. "We have a few questions to ask you about Sherry Riordan."

Surprise quickly registered on the man's face. "Sherry? Whoa," he gasped with wide eyes, "that's a not-so-happy blast from the past," he commented.

"I'm sure it isn't what with the two calls you made to the police to have her arrested," Jackie pointed out.

"I had no choice!" Diaz swore as he stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him, not wanting his wife to hear that he was being questioned about a crazy ex-girlfriend. He leaned against the porch railing, feeling the need to defend himself. "I would never hit a woman and she knew that when she came at me! I mean, I called the cops just to get her away from me. She was lucky I'm the tip to control myself...she got mean sometimes."

"Yet you two got back together," Jackie said, referencing the second altercation.

"I didn't get back together with her, she showed up the second time and we fought because I wasn't willing to take her back. The first time we were together, I was young and stupid and in love with her even though she was just using me...cheated on me too, but I learned my lesson...it just took me nine months to learn that damned lesson."

"Yeah, with who?" Danny asked, needing to find as many people as he could to track her during that time.

"I never figured it out, not while she was with me anyway," Diaz shrugged. "I only knew of the married wall street douche she was messing with before we got together. He wined and dined her and broke her heart when he wouldn't leave his wife for her. That's how I met her the first time, actually, after some fight she had with him. I saw her alone one night while I was cutting through Columbus Park on my way home from work. I felt bad for her, pretty girl crying all alone."

"Let me guess, you wanted to rescue her?" Jackie said with a half roll of her eyes.

Diaz ignored the detective and continued. "She clung on to me and told me some sad story about how she was pregnant but that it wasn't enough for the Wall Street guy to be with her and he dumped her anyway."

"She was pregnant?" Danny asked, surprised to finally hear that fact confirmed even though there was no record of it during her December arrest.

"She said she was, but she also said she lost it and was devastated."

"So she was pregnant but she told you she lost it?" Danny repeated, just to make sure he'd heard right as he tried making sense of everything.

"Yeah," Roland confirmed. "That's what she said at first but after that whole fiasco during the holidays...I sometimes thought that was probably a lie too...a ploy, you know? To try and railroad the rich guy." He sighed regretfully before pressing on. "I liked her, I really did...she was a beautiful girl...real rough around the edges and didn't seem to have any family, but I ended up being the rebound who stupidly hoped to be something more."

"When was this, when you two first met in the park?"

"I don't know...sometime in the spring of 1987, I think."

"So she wasn't pregnant when you called the cops in December?" Jackie confirmed.

"No, not at all!" Roland exclaimed as he grew more suspicious of their questions. "Now what is this about really?" he wondered out loud.

"What else can you tell us about her?" Danny asked, leaving his question unanswered.

Roland shrugged, still curious about why the cops were looking into Sherry, but the male detective didn't seem too keen on filling him in. She was ancient history as far as he was concerned and opened the floodgates on all that he recalled about her. "She had no place to go so she crashed with me almost from the get go and didn't have much more than a suitcase full of clothes to her name. She moved from Buffalo to the city hoping to make something of her life but all she was looking for was someone to take care of her...she never spoke about family so I assumed she really didn't have any...she always got fired from easy jobs because she couldn't manage to show up on time; that was a major point of contention for us. She was draining me dry and screwing around behind my back while I was working my ass off. I finally came to my senses and had enough...that was when we had what I thought was our last major blow up...she was always hung up on the Wall Street dude and threw it in my face that she needed a guy like that to take care of her. It was back and forth with me telling her she was stupid to think he'd ever leave his wife for her and she lost it, thought I meant that she wasn't good enough to be with someone like him...she laid into me, man," Roland recalled, "and she wouldn't back down. So I called the cops. I wanted her out of my apartment is all. That's why I didn't press charges."

"So she went away?" Danny asked.

"For a while," Diaz replied.

"When did you see her next?"

"The following summer. You got the date if you already know when I called the cops on her again."

"What? She just showed up out of the blue?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah, exactly. I suspected that she bounced from guy to guy between New Years and when she showed up again, wanting to get back together. I said no way, no how. Plus, I was already seeing someone, she's my wife now."

"And she didn't want to take no for an answer?"

"Nope. She went psycho on me again, accused me of cheating on her. She thought I owed it to her to get back together after I had her arrested in the winter. But I wasn't going to put up with her crap again and I wasn't willing to screw up what I had with my girlfriend. I think she was desperate and just searching for someone to leech off of. I felt sorry for her but I couldn't let her keep hassling me."

"I understand. Any idea what happened to her after that?" Danny asked.

"No idea and I couldn't have cared less," Diaz answered honestly when he had a thought. "But..."

"But what?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she went back to sniff out her old married boyfriend."

"You don't happen to know his name, do you?" Danny inquired. Diaz had been a help so far as reconfirming that Sherry Riordan was not near the end of a pregnancy in December of 1987, but they still had to track her whereabouts between then and August of '88 when Jamie disappeared.

"Unfortunately, I do considering how often she'd throw his name in my face...Todd Seitz."

"Alright, thank you Mr. Diaz. You've been a big help."

"Sure thing," he said and watched them go down the steps when he called out to them again. "Hey! You still didn't tell me what this is all about."

"We're still trying to figure that out," Danny responded vaguely, not willing to say more.

"So, what are you thinking?" Jackie asked once they were back in the car.

"I think we need to figure out where she was between the second arrest and the time Jamie was taken. And we need to find this Seitz guy. I have a feeling Diaz was right about her going back to him."

Jackie could see his mind going a hundred miles an hour as he worked out some theory in his head, one that was starting to form in her own mind. "You don't think..."

Danny could see that they were both wondering the same thing. "Think about it! If Seitz dumped her even after she told him she was pregnant -"

"Which she lost or she might never have been at all," Jackie cut in.

"But it could be that Seitz never found that out and she could have used that as a last-ditch effort to get him back."

"And if she was desperate enough...yeah. We gotta find Seitz," Jackie agreed.

"Let's go back to the squad and see if we can track him down before I have to meet the guys later."

* * *

"Hey! Good game, Jimmy! See you again next week?" Detective Liam Daley asked as he landed a firm pat on Jimmy's back after a decisive win against the FDNY team in a physical game of half-court basketball.

"Yeah, I'll be here," Jimmy confirmed as he ran the collar of his t-shirt down his sweaty face.

"You better be," Sergeant Anthony Russo warned with a pointed finger. "Danny finally does something right and get's us a good shooter."

"Yeah, two wins in a row against those smoke eaters after you bring this kid on board," Daley smiled.

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Danny complained as the group walked over to the bleachers.

"You should, you're jump shot's lousy, Reagan. Fortunately for you, you make up for it on defense," Detective Robert Brown laughed.

"Shut your trap, Bobby. I recall you throwing a couple bricks in the first half."

"Alright, alright...see you next week," Brown smirked.

"Bye, guys," Danny waved.

"Good game, kid," Russo praised the newbie as he and his two teammates grabbed their duffle bags and headed to the exit eager to get home, leaving Danny and Jimmy behind to catch their breath on the bleachers.

"Thanks," Jimmy beamed, having had a good time tonight and happy to be fitting in with the team.

"Yeah, you really brought your game tonight, Jimmy. Did you play in school?" Danny asked as he brought a water bottle to his lips for a long, much-needed chug.

"Just two years in high school," Jimmy replied as went for his own bottle, "and on my own whenever I had time."

"Only two years?" Danny questioned as he fell back against the second row behind him in exhaustion.

"Yeah, I played basketball and ran across country my first two years of high school but I had no time for that my junior and senior years with school and work."

"Work?"

"After-school job at a grocery store. Money was tight and I had to help my mom out with bills," Jimmy explained while leaning over his bag fishing around for a clean t-shirt. His current one was drenched in sweat and he preferred not to reek on the train ride home.

Jimmy was getting more comfortable in sharing the details of his childhood with Danny. "That's a good thing, helping out your mom like that," he commented.

"I guess. Not like I had a choice anyway," Jimmy replied as he continued to search his bag.

Danny noticed the strain to his voice when he said it hadn't been a 'choice' and thought of some of the things Roland Diaz had said. "I had an after school job in high school too," he shared.

Jimmy sat up after finally locating the clean shirt. "Oh yeah? What'd you do?" he asked.

"My buddies' uncle had this real popular car stereo shop and they did installations too. I started out in the stock room, but they eventually taught me how to install those babies...man, some of those were really sweet...nothing like feeling the music coming out of those subwoofers," Danny recalled. "And now? Now I yell at my boys to turn down the music because it's too loud," he smirked as he considered the irony.

Jimmy laughed as he pulled his shirt up and over his head, leaving a stunned Danny Reagan with a clear view of a small, football-shaped birthmark on his right shoulder.

* * *

Frank's eyes were growing heavy as he sat on the couch in the sunroom watching an old western on TV. The familiar dialogue of the decades-old movie lulled him into a relaxed state. These last few weeks had taken their toll on him with the family looking into James Riordan's background and reinvestigating Jamie's kidnapping; he had many sleepless nights laying in bed praying that they could finally find some peace. But that relaxed state Frank was enjoying was soon shattered with the slamming of the front door as his oldest came barreling into the house.

"Dad!? Dad!" Danny shouted up the stairs before catching movement in the sunroom.

"In here, Danny! What's wrong, son?" Frank asked as he stood up off the couch, worried that something was wrong with Linda or the boys.

"What's with all the ruckus?" Henry questioned as he rushed in from the kitchen where he had been making them some tea.

"It's him!" Danny announced with a look of shock, taking big gulping breaths as if he'd run all the way over from midtown. Danny had left Jimmy back at the gym in nearly the same state, excusing himself with some lame excuse about his wife waiting for him at home as soon as his eyes landed on the mark on his shoulder. Jimmy had questioned him, worrying that something was wrong with his new friend, but all Danny could say in response was that he needed to run and that he'd know the urgency of getting home to the missus one day when he had one before scrambling off to his car for what felt like an endless drive over to Bay Ridge.

"Who?" Frank asked, even though his stomach tightened, already knowing who Danny was referring to.

"It's him, dad! I saw it! The Jets football!" Danny blurted out, too excited to make any more sense.

Frank's legs began to feel weak and he fell back onto the couch in a stunned heap.

"Calm down, son. Start over!" Henry ordered as he struggled to understand what his grandson was saying.

Danny took in several deep breaths and wiped the cold sweat from his face as he forced himself to settle down. "I was with Jamie...uh, Jimmy...playing basketball tonight and after the game we were sitting around talking...and he changed his shirt in front of me," he explained while his hands flew all around him in a frenzy. He took in another deep breath and looked into his father's eyes as he shared what had him so excited. "I saw it, dad, that light brown birthmark Jamie had on his shoulder that was shaped like a football. It was smaller than I remember, but it was there, in the same exact place, high up on his right shoulder blade," he said while pointing to his own shoulder.

"Dear Lord," Henry gasped as he took a seat on the other end of the couch.

"Dad?" Danny whispered when his father remained motionless, worried that he wasn't hearing him.

"It's him," Frank said in a breathy voice as his eyes filled with tears.

Danny nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat that had formed as soon as he saw that distinguishing mark on Jimmy's shoulder. "A DNA test is just a formality at this point, dad, but it's him...and not just because of the birthmark either."

Frank nodded and cleared his throat. "You feel it too when you talk to him," he stated.

"Yeah, I do," Danny confirmed as he finally allowed himself to relax. He plopped down onto the loveseat in a boneless heap, drained after the shocking discovery, not to mention having played a full game of basketball before that.

"It's him. It's Jamie," Frank repeated.

"So what do we do now?" Henry wondered.

"We gotta tell him, dad, but this...this is going to screw with his head," Danny worried. Was he ecstatic to know that they had finally found him? Hell, yeah! But now he worried if they'd be able to keep him.

"I say the sooner the better. We've missed out on enough of the boy's life and whatever he needs to get through this, we'll be there to help him," Henry asserted.

"If he let's us," Frank muttered, tempted beyond belief to drive over to Vinegar Hill to hold his son in his arms.

"Of course he will! Why wouldn't he?!" Henry exclaimed.

"Jackie and I had plans tomorrow to interview one of Sherry Riordan's exes from her New York City days," Danny interjected. Just like he had told Jackie, this wasn't over with the confirmation that they'd found his little brother. And it might be best to have some proof of Sherry Riordan's involvement in the kidnapping before breaking the news to Jimmy. "We're still trying to piece together her whereabouts during the time Jamie disappeared."

"We gotta tell him," Frank concluded, "Even if we don't know everything yet. We need to tell him so he knows, so that all of it can start to sink in." This wasn't the type of revelation that could be accepted without some sort of fallout. It might take some time and concrete proof to make him believe. "And if he can and is willing, maybe he can tell us something that helps us nail Riordan or whoever else took him from us. But first, we take care of him."

"I'll invite him out for drinks or dinner to watch the Mets game on Friday night, bring him back here," Danny suggested.

"Here? Will he even come?" Frank asked, knowing that the boy was skittish around him in an official capacity.

"Well, we can't do this in public at a bar somewhere," Danny argued.

"No, we can't," Frank agreed. "Get him here. I'll call your sister, we should all be here together."

* * *

 _It's him!_ _And we're close to having the family break the news to Jimmy. How do you all think he'll take it after the small glimpse we got of his fake momma?_

 _But first, Jackie and Danny continue investigating Sherry's past and learn the reason why Jamie was taken in the first place._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Looks like Mr. Seitz has done very well for himself," Jackie commented as she noted the contemporary design of the lobby; everything consisted of steel, glass or glossy laquer finishes in an almost blinding shade of white.

"No kidding. Probably sold his soul to the devil like all of the other Wall Street crooks," Danny grumbled while waiting impatiently for the receptionist to return. He was preparing to have to storm back to Todd Seitz's office if she came back and said anything other than 'right this way'.

"Or he could have just worked real hard," Jackie offered with a shrug.

Danny raised a brow in her direction to let her know exactly what he thought about that.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Jackie conceded with a smirk.

"Detectives?" the receptionist said. "Mr. Seitz will see you now. Right this way," she instructed them, leaving Danny a little disappointed that he wouldn't have to fight his way back to see Sherry Riordan's cheating ex. He followed closely behind the young woman to the farther end of the suite where the executive offices were, away from all of the other worker bees. Danny had been salivating for the chance to question Todd Seitz ever since Roland Diaz gave them his name, but the man had been on his way back to New York from out of town when they'd contacted his office, today being his first day back in his downtown headquarters.

The receptionist came to a stop in front of a large set of double doors, knocking lightly before allowing them entry. Todd Seitz was your typical wall street CEO of a private equity firm, dressed in a charcoal gray suit that probably cost more than Danny made in a month. His salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly coifed to top off a bright, white teeth that matched the lacquered furniture in the lobby. Danny hated him the second he laid his eyes on his giant, fake smile.

"Detectives, how may I be of assistance?" Seitz greeted the pair as he came out from behind his desk.

"Mr. Seitz, I'm Detective Reagan and this is my partner, Detective Curatola. Thank you for giving us a minute of your time," Danny introduced them while forcing himself to shake the man's hand.

Seitz was surprised to hear that the police wanted to speak to him, but he considered himself an upstanding member of society with nothing to hide and believed nothing good came from avoiding the authorities. "Absolutely. What is this about?"

"We just had some questions to ask you about Sherry Riordan," Danny advised, watching him carefully for any reaction, which came as soon as the woman's name was out of his mouth.

"Sherry Riordan?" Seitz frowned as he went a shade paler while uttering a name he hoped to never hear again...maybe he should have rethought his decision to speak to the cops.

"Yeah, Sherry Riordan," Danny repeated.

"We understand you two had some sort of relationship in the late eighties...about 1987/1988 to be specific," Jackie added.

The blood drained from Todd Seitz's face as the male detective's name transported him to a long ago forgotten event. "R-reagan?" he stammered.

"Yeah, that's my name," Danny confirmed politely. He knew he'd already struck a nerve in the other man.

"Any relation to..." Seitz trailed off. _What were the odds,_ he wondered.

"The Commissioner? Yes, he's my father," Danny smiled proudly.

"Oh," Seitz uttered and took a step back, catching himself against his desk.

"You're looking a little gray, Mr. Seitz. You alright?" Jackie asked.

"Mhmm, I'm fine," he replied with a forced smile as sweat began to dot his upper lip.

"You sure about that?" Jackie pressed.

"I'm sure," Seitz squeaked, suddenly feeling like the collar of his Ermenegildo Zegna dress shirt had shrunk a few sizes.

"Good. So, Sherry Riordan," Danny pushed him along.

"Ms. Riordan was just an acquaintance," Seitz began.

"An acquaintance?" Danny asked doubtfully.

"Yes," Seitz replied with a jerky nod.

Danny was sure this man wasn't typically this squirmy...he was definitely hiding something. "Well, then, when did you two meet?"

Seitz moved back behind his desk and took a seat in his leather executive chair, anything to distance himself a little from the detectives. "Uh, we worked at the same brokerage firm."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"That would make her more than just an acquaintance," Jackie pointed out.

"That would make her a coworker," Danny added.

"Yeah, that's it," Jackie agreed.

"She didn't work for the firm for that long. She was a receptionist, but from what I recall, she was often late and was let go when HR got after her one too many times," Seitz explained, minimising his relationship with the woman as much as he could.

"So what? You never saw her again after that?" Danny pressed.

Seitz stared back at the detectives as he attempted to come up with an adequate response.

"You're not under oath here, Mr. Seitz, but I would remind you that lying to the police will only bring you a whole crap load of trouble," Jackie warned him.

"You know, partner, I have a feeling he knows he's in a crap load of trouble anyway," Danny remarked with a knowing smile before narrowing his eyes at the older man. "I'd start talking, Mr. Seitz, or we could escort you down to the precinct and continue this in a more official setting."

Seitz was screwed, he knew that, but was smart enough to know he should not offer any information they didn't specifically ask for. They couldn't possibly know of everything that woman had tried to do to him. And as much as she deserved to be punished for what she had done, he preferred to keep his good name out of it. "What do you want to know?"

"What was the nature of your relationship with Sherry Riordan?" Danny asked.

"We dated a bit," Seitz confessed, again, choosing to disclose as little as possible.

Jackie leaned back in her chair and got comfortable, seeing as how this would be a lot like pulling teeth. "Huh. Dated? Was this before or after or while you were married? You are still married, right?"

Seitz cleared his throat nervously as he fiddled with one of the Mont Blancs on his desk blotter. "During," he admitted sheepishly, not proud of his past infidelities. "She and I were having an affair."

"When was this?" Danny asked. He was sitting forward in the chair next to Jackie, feeling more and more agitated with each succinct answer that came from the other man.

"1986 I think."

Danny clenched his jaw and glared at the businessman. "Keep going, Seitz," he ordered.

Seitz took a deep breath in through his nose as he continued to pick over the details he wanted to share. It was difficult without knowing what they were after. "She got hired at the firm before the holidays and didn't make it a month before she was let go. We'd been talking on and off before she was fired and when she lost her job...well, she was really upset."

"Let me guess...you swooped in to rescue her?" Jackie drawled before turning to her partner. "Are you noticing a pattern here?"

"Yeah," Danny gruffed. "How long did this affair go for, Mr. Seitz?"

"I don't know, like five or six months. She wanted me to leave my wife for her. I liked her but I told her from the get go that we were just having fun, I had a wife at home that I had no intention of divorcing. That would have wiped out everything I'd earned. She didn't really even care for me, I think she just wanted somebody to support her." Seitz blabbed more than he had intended but his mouth kept going the more he felt the need to defend himself.

"That's very admirable of you. You still married?" Jackie asked sarcastically.

"Yes."

"You're quite the catch. Your wife is a lucky lady," she deadpanned.

Seitz squirmed under the glare Jackie was giving him.

"Tell us more, Mr. Seitz. When did you two stop seeing each other?" Danny pushed him along.

"In the spring of the following year. She got more clingy and crazy the more I told her that I couldn't leave my wife. Finally, I told her I'd had enough and didn't want to see her again and then..."

"Then what?"

"She was waiting for me one day outside of my office building. She claimed she was pregnant with my baby."

"And what was your reaction?" Danny asked.

"I didn't believer her. There was no way. I was careful every time!" Seitz proclaimed.

"I'm sure you were. How'd she react," Danny pressed as his leg bounced up and down waiting for Seitz to give them something they could use.

"She flipped out completely. Started yelling and hitting me right there on the street. I had to pull her to the side of the building -"

"Away from anyone you might know," Jackie interjected.

"I tried reasoning with her. There was no way she was pregnant with my child, it was just too convenient that she came to me with that after I'd already broken things off with her," Seitz said as he hoped they were done with this discussion. "Anyway, that was the last I saw of her," he lied.

"That was the last time you saw her," Danny echoed with a raised brow.

"Y-yes," Seitz stammered, his stomach clenching when it felt like they were headed into an area he preferred to avoid. He cursed himself silently when he felt a drop of perspiration roll down his temple.

"You sure about that? You look like you're sweating, Mr. Seitz, even though it's quite cool in here," Jackie noted as Danny began to seethe next to her.

"I think you might want to reconsider your answer before we march you out in front of all of your employees and colleagues. I wonder what they'll think about two NYPD detectives escorting their CEO out of his cushy office," Danny said.

"She showed up again," Seitz confessed in a soft whisper, choosing to come clean and forego that kind of humiliation. It wasn't like he'd really done anything wrong.

"When?" Danny asked, barking out the same question when Seitz looked away to avoid it. "WHEN?!"

"In August," Seitz revealed reluctantly.

Danny jumped up from his seat, causing Seitz to flinch. "Did she show up alone?"

"No...she had a baby with her," Seitz whispered.

"A baby," Danny repeated.

"How old was this baby?" Jackie asked, sitting forward in case her partner launched himself at the other man. He was easy to read and Jackie saw that he was ready to pounce.

"I don't know," Seitz said with a shake of his head.

"But I'm thinking you could guess, I mean, from looking at those pictures behind you, you got four of your own at home," Jackie reasoned.

Seitz shrugged before answering. "S-seven months, maybe. That's how old the baby would have been if she was claiming it was mine."

"Seven months? Or maybe six?" Danny rasped.

"I don't know."

"And was she telling you it was your kid?" Jackie asked.

"Yes."

"But you still knew it wasn't yours," Jackie asked and received a nod in return. "Boy or girl, Mr. Seitz?"

"Boy."

Jackie turned to find Danny in a trance. "What else did she say?"

"Just that he was mine and that I needed to take responsibility for them, that she'd be out on the street if I didn't."

Danny's jaw clenched again. "And you still didn't believe her, but you had another reason for thinking that. The same reason that hearing my last name had you turning about as gray as that wall behind you," he said in an eerily calm voice as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. "Because we'd be talking about August of 1988 when my baby brother's name and photo was plastered all over the local media for weeks after he disappeared from a Brooklyn park. It was big news because of my father and grandfather and their positions with the department. You remember that, Todd? Does the name Jameson Reagan ring any other bells?" Danny leaned over the man's desk daring him to lie to his face. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you had no clue who that baby really could have been," he hissed.

"I didn't know!" Seitz swore.

"But you suspected!" Danny spat back.

"Did you ask her as much?" Jackie asked.

"I told her that he wasn't my kid and she knew that! I wanted nothing to do with her and what she may or may not have done! I just wanted her out of my life!" he said as he saw everything he built for himself begin to crumble because of some stupid affair 25 years ago.

"So what did you do?"

"I gave her $5,000 to go away and leave me alone."

"And? I'm thinking you wanted assurances that she'd never be back."

Seitz was screwed now, he knew that. Maybe it was the tinge of guilt he'd felt once for not saying something that kept him from doing the smart thing - shutting his mouth and calling his lawyer. "I told her that if I never saw her again, I wouldn't ever say anything about her baby looking so much like the missing boy."

"So you paid her off and kept your mouth shut," Danny snarled. "Do you know what you did!?" he yelled as he went after Seitz and pulled him out of his chair by the lapels of his designer suit jacket.

"Reagan!" Jackie jumped in to separate the two men.

"I wasn't sure! You know babies all look alike at that age!" Seitz argued as he collapsed against the credenza behind him once Jackie pried him free of her partner's grasp.

"Yet you had your suspicions and paid her off to leave you alone! So long as your dirty little secret stayed hidden, you were okay with that woman walking away with that baby to do God only knows what!" Danny spat back. That woman could have done anything to Jamie, God only knew what she did to him growing up; with the way Jimmy tensed anytime she came up, he hadn't had and easy childhood.

Seitz looked back in horror. "Oh my God, she didn't, did she?" he asked, assuming the worst - that Sherry could have hurt that child after she left.

"Did what, Mr. Seitz?" Jackie asked as she kept an eye on her partner, who still had a murderous expression on his face.

"Did she hurt him? Is that why you're here? Did you find him?"

"Oh, we found him. Be grateful you're not looking at an accessory to murder charge, Todd. But don't worry, I'm sure the DA's office will come up with something just as good for knowingly paying off Sherry Riordan to walk away with a kidnapped child," Danny scoffed.

"You might want to get your coat and walk out of here willingly, Mr. Seitz. You're going to need to give us a formal statement down at the precinct."

* * *

 _So there you have it, the reason why Sherry took Jamie in the first place. Sounds ridiculous and crazy, but sadly it's not unlike some real life stories I found while conducting research for this story._

 _Thanks to everyone who reviewed yesterday; I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to get back to each of you, but work is crazy. Luckily I have my updates lined up and ready to go. :)_

 _Tomorrow, the family will drop the bomb on an unsuspecting Jimmy._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jimmy reluctantly followed his new buddy up the steps to the two-story brick house. "I don't know about this, Danny," he said while looking nervously up at the stately home...compared to everywhere he had ever lived, this seemed was a freaking mansion. "When you said beers and the game, I thought we were going to a bar."

"I, uh, I forgot I told my dad and gramps I'd come over tonight. And anyhow, we don't need no stinking bar. They got better beer _and_ scotch _and_ a flat screen right here," Danny shot back over his shoulder. He hadn't been able to look the kid in the eyes ever since he picked him up outside of his precinct. Jimmy had been suspicious of his behavior up until he announced where they were headed, then the suspicions turned to panic at the thought of hanging out with his boss after work at _his_ house. He felt bad about lying to him, he really did, but he had to get him to his father's house somehow and this had been the only way he could think to do it. After everything they'd gotten out of Todd Seitz the day before, his father didn't want to put things off any further. They needed to bring Jimmy in to break the news to him of his kidnapping twenty-five years ago. They planned to lay it all out for him starting with Frank's initial suspicions after they met in the hospital and their subsequent findings.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do, but, uh, the commissioner...he lives here, Danny," Jimmy pointed out. His stomach filled with butterflies with each step he took towards the front door. He'd been shocked as hell when the man had come to his apartment, but chances were he might turn into a bumbling idiot once he was on his boss's home turf.

"I know that, doofus," Danny snapped lightly, suddenly feeling like a big brother that needed to mock his kid brother for saying something stupid.

"He may be your father," Jimmy remarked, ignoring the insult, "but he's my boss."

 _He's your father too,_ Danny thought, but voiced a different response. "He's also my boss so just relax, Jimmy."

"Easier said than done," Jimmy muttered under his breath.

"The old man likes you. Think of this as your home too, it is for anyone we welcome inside," he assured him, Jimmy just had no idea how true that statement would be after tonight. "Come on, follow me," Danny ordered as he led him through the front door. "We're here," he announced, not that he needed to as Frank, Henry and Erin were already gathered in the living room and apparently had been for some time working through their first round of scotch in anticipation of their arrival.

Frank smiled tightly at the younger man, his stomach tightening as a decades old wish had finally come true...his son was home. "Jimmy, it's good to see you again, son."

Danny and Erin traded glances at their father's greeting; while not unusual for him to use the term of endearment for almost any other young man he addressed, they all knew that Frank meant it in the true sense of the word tonight.

"Sir...it's good to see you again," Jimmy returned the greeting with a firm handshake.

"No 'sirs' in my house, Jimmy. You can call me Frank," he smiled while another thought ran through his mind... _and hopefully one day, you can call me 'dad'._

"Oh, uh, alright," Jimmy said while smiling nervously. Despite what the commissioner had said, he didn't think he could ever refer to him by his given name.

Frank heard his father clearing his own throat next to him. "Jimmy, this is my father, Henry."

Henry was the last of the four to finally meet the young man they suspected of being their Jamie and had been on pins and needles all day to lay his very own eyes on him. "Nice to meet you, Jimmy. I've heard a lot of great things about you from this bunch," he smiled warmly as his eyes remained frozen on the young officer. _Good lord, they were right..._ _it really was him,_ Henry thought...he could feel it too.

Jimmy gave Danny a worried expression before responding, wondering about what Danny could have shared with the others. "Thank you, sir."

"You heard, Francis. No 'sirs' in this unless you're in trouble," he joked. "You just call me Henry."

"Yes, sir...Henry," Jimmy smiled at the kindly old man who was looking at him oddly for some reason.

"And you already know Erin," Danny said while motioning to his sister.

having no clue that she was going to be here, the blush was back in his cheeks as soon as their eyes met and Jimmy cursed his reaction. "Yeah, uh, hi," he offered with a wave of his hand.

Danny frowned at his sister, wondering what that was about but pushed it to the back of his mind quickly as they had more pressing issues to deal with for the time being.

"Why don't we sit down in the living room. Can I get you something to drink, Jimmy? We were just having some scotch," Frank said and motioned the kids to the sofa while he and his father retook their seats.

"See, what'd I tell you? Drinks are covered," Danny quipped to hide his rising nerves.

"Whatever you're having is fine," Jimmy responded politely. He bit his bottom lip as he waited for his drink finding it strange to find himself suddenly sandwiched in between Danny and Erin Reagan. He longed for the distraction of the promised televised baseball game as he began to feel like the center of attention, something that he normally shied away from.

Henry poured a finger of scotch into two more glasses and handed one to their guest while Danny reached for his own, almost downing it all in one quick motion.

"Thank you," Jimmy said before taking a sip of the single malt, hoping it would calm him down.

"Looks like you're all healed up," Frank observed. He'd been edgy all day, going through the different ways they could break the news to him, but there was no way to soften the blow that would soon come; his whole life had been a lie created by the woman he thought was his mother.

"Yes, sir. I've been back on patrol for a few weeks now," Jimmy replied, unable to use the commissioner's given name as instructed.

Frank nodded, already aware of that. He'd been keeping an eye on him from afar ever since he'd met him at the hospital, either through Danny and Erin or via a few select and trusted members of his office. "That's great."

The four older Reagans traded looks through a bout of awkward silence until Danny decided they needed to cut to the chase before Jimmy ran since it seemed that he already sensed something was up from the way he shifted on the conch uncomfortably. "Listen, Jimmy...we didn't really invite you over here to watch a game," he confessed.

The young officer's brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to Danny, silently asking him what he meant and then turned to look at the others, suddenly feeling cornered and alone.

Frank could see the panic building on the boy's face and swallowed thickly as he started from the beginning. "Jimmy, twenty-five years ago, we lost a family member...my youngest son...Danny and Erin's little brother, Jamie."

"Lost?" Jimmy queried, totally lost on what he was referring to.

"He disappeared...was taken, actually, from a park not far from here. All of the kids were there with their mother - my wife Mary - and," Frank paused for a breath, "and while she was tending to one of them, someone took Jamie from his stroller," Frank continued.

Jimmy was confused. He didn't understand what this had to do with him or why he was surrounded by the Reagan family instead of throwing back a few beers and watching a baseball game as promised. "I'm sorry to hear that, really, but, uh, why are you telling me this?"

Frank shifted his eyes down to his hands as he explained further. The others remained eerily quiet, so much so that Jimmy would swear it was just him and the commissioner sitting here alone having this conversation. "Jimmy, when I saw you in the hospital after you were shot...well, you reminded me of my son, Joe. And to be honest, it wasn't just your resemblance to Joe that knocked me for a loop, but at the time I couldn't put my finger on why that was. So I started to look into your background beginning with having your file pulled from HR."

Jimmy's face paled."My file? What's going on?" he demanded, worried that he was in some kind of trouble, that he was about to get booted from the NYPD. But why the hell would that be happening here, in the commissioner's house? None of this made sense!

"Jimmy, dad brought me and Erin in to dig into your past too," Danny admitted. His tone was heavy with remorse because he knew the kid would see it as a betrayal. And maybe it was; he'd been playing the role of mentor and friend for the past several weeks, but the more he got to know Jimmy, the more he wanted to be that and more...an older brother. But he might have trouble believing that after tonight.

"Why?" he rasped as his heart pounded in his chest.

"My gut told me that you could be him," Frank revealed.

"You're not making sense. Who?" Jimmy pleaded, still not making the connection.

"Jamie."

Jimmy's eyes widened as he looked at each of the others and he let out a weary laugh as he waited for some punchline, but they only stared back waiting for his response. "This is a joke, right? Some sort of weird joke." It had to be.

"It's no joke, son," Frank uttered quietly.

Jimmy's hand clenched around the heavy tumbler of scotch. "I have a fam-," he stopped himself because it would almost be a lie to stay he had a family, he'd never felt like he was part of a family. "I have a mother...my mother's in Buffalo. I grew up there," he argued.

"Jimmy, we found some inconsistencies with your personal information," Erin chimed in, trying for a more gentle delivery of the harsh reality.

"Like what?" Jamie demanded.

"Your social security number and date of birth came back on a death certificate for a baby that passed in Buffalo the year you were born," Erin advised.

"That doesn't make sense! It must be some sort of mistake!" Jamie exclaimed. He stood up, needing to get out from in between the two Reagan kids.

"We checked directly with the Department of Health. There is no record of a James Riordan born in Buffalo on January 3, 1988," Danny revealed, afraid that the kid was getting ready to run before they got through telling him everything they'd learned.

"This is absurd. I have a birth certificate," he declared as his voice wavered and a deep, dark feeling he'd had all of his life niggled at the back of his mind. But it wasn't this. It couldn't be.

"It's a fake, Jimmy," Danny swore.

"This is crazy. You're all crazy. The Department of Health has their records messed up...not really unusual for government agency to screw something up," Jimmy reasoned as his breathing became harsh and shallow.

"You have his birthmark," Danny stated.

"His what?" Jimmy asked, wondering at what other ridiculous garbage was going to come out of their mouths now.

"The small football-shaped birthmark on your right shoulder. I saw it after we were done playing ball the other night," Danny said.

A birthmark. That's their proof that he was their long lost whatever? "That doesn't prove anything!" Jimmy countered with an adamant shake of his head. "And what the hell, Danny! All of this meeting me for drinks and inviting me into your basketball league? Asking me about my family? It was just a ruse to get information from me?" he accused before catching the commissioner's eye who was watching him intently. "And you, sir? Coming by my apartment unannounced to check on me? Were you just looking for an in to stick your detective on me? Is that what you use the department for?" Jimmy asked, his anger causing him to forget who he was speaking to. He wouldn't dare to be so disrespectful to a superior under normal circumstances.

"Hey, watch yourself," Danny warned, not hesitating to step in and protect his father. He knew this was hard enough without the kid accusing his dad of any wrongdoing. Danny hoped that if he just heard them out, listened to everything they had found on him and Sherry Riordan, that they could get through to him. "Jimmy, we have witness statements confirming that Sherry Riordan was not pregnant at the time she should have been in order to deliver you in January of '88. We have an arrest record making no mention of a pregnancy in December of '87. And we can place your moth-," Danny balked on that last word, not willing to give that woman a title she didn't deserve. "We can place Sherry Riordan in Brooklyn at the time Jamie disappeared. She later showed up at an ex's with a baby boy, six months old, days after Jamie was taken. That ex-boyfriend suspected you were Jamie but was too worried about his own hide to question her or say something to the police."

Jimmy felt like he was getting punched in the gut and turned away to regroup, willing himself to keep it together when he felt his eyes grow wet. "She..." Jimmy paused to rid himself of the lump in his throat, "she wouldn't do that," he swore.

"She did," Henry proclaimed as he prayed that Jimmy would listen to reason and let them take care of him.

"Jimmy, with what we've learned...with what we feel in our hearts...you're my son," Frank asserted, his voice cracking with emotion. "The only other proof I could offer you would be to get tested but I wouldn't do that without your willingness."

"Sherry Riordan is the only person that knows what happened. We need your help to find out the truth about your abduction," Danny added.

"Abduction," he repeated flatly. Jimmy remained still for several long moments, staring out through the bay window onto the darkened, peaceful street. They were all caught by surprise when he finally spoke. "No."

"What?" Danny asked, sure that he heard him wrong.

Jimmy spun around quickly and a few drops of the amber liquid sloshed over the edge of the glass he continued to clutch in his hand. Anger radiated off of him as he pinned each of them with a glare. "This isn't happening. None of this is true. She's never gonna win the mother-of-the-year award, but she couldn't do what you're accusing her of!"

"Then help us prove it. Take the test," Danny begged.

"You want me to get tested?" Jimmy sneered and threw back the rest of the scotch in his glass before slamming it down onto the coffee table. "There! Do your damn test and when it comes back as no match, leave me the hell alone, all of you!" he shouted as he rushed toward the door.

"I'd call that a Reagan temper," Henry sighed under his breath as he looked to his son, hating the hurt and disappointment on his face. Francis hadn't budged an inch, unable to move after Jimmy's final outburst. He didn't think this would be easy for the boy to hear, but he didn't expected such intense anger and denial.

"Wait! Jimmy, just calm down and let's talk this out! Hey! Remember, I'm your ride out of here, kid!" Danny said while running after him, looking for any reason to keep him from leaving like this.

"I can find my own way! Always have!" he shouted before storming his way out through the rest of the house.

Frank's head hung low while the others looked back at each other in shock, sharing the same thought... _that went about as badly as it could have gone._

* * *

 _There it is, the big reveal. Did anyone expect a positive reaction? Sure, he may have a good family waiting to welcome him home, but that's still a lot to accept right off the bat._

 _Next, Jimmy ignores everyone's attempts to reach out while he does some investigating of his own._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Danny walked out of his latest crime scene - a vacant and soon to be demolished building in midtown - with a permanent grimace on his face. The scene was nasty and their victim ripe from a death suffered few days ago, but it wasn't just the scene that had Danny Reagan in a foul mood. Friday night's disastrous encounter with Jimmy had left him saddled with guilt, more pissed off than ever at Sherry Riordan's presumed involvement in screwing up his family and had him questioning how Jimmy could possibly doubt them with the evidence they'd gathered. And how could he defend a woman who'd done the bare minimum to care for him as a child? A woman that couldn't be bothered with picking up the phone when the department attempted to notify her that her 'son' had been injured in the line of duty?

Danny came to a stop on the sidewalk and took a deep breath of fresh air in an attempt to clear his mind. As he casually glanced down the street, his eyes came upon a familiar pair heading toward their RMP. Danny's eyes brightened as he chased after the two uniforms, grateful to have a chance to talk to Jimmy after days of radio silence. "Hey, Sarge!"

Renzulli glanced over his shoulder as soon as he heard the gruff voice and turned to give Danny a half smirk. "Hey, Detective Reagan. I didn't know you were in there."

"Must have snuck by you while you two were standing around socializing with the other unis," Danny joked as he smiled tightly at Jimmy, who was doing his darnedest to avoid his eyes. "Officer Riordan," he greeted Jimmy formally, noticing the exaggerated eye roll from the young officer as he turned toward him with a stiff, defensive posture. Danny still had hopes of getting through to Jimmy...until he crossed his arms in front of his chest. _Yup, the walls are definitely up_ , he lamented to himself.

"Detective," Jimmy acknowledged curtly without so much as a glance at Danny.

Renzulli looked from one man to the other in confusion; he thought these two were on their way to becoming bosom buddies, but his partner looked like he was two seconds away from wringing the detective's neck. "Looked pretty nasty back there," he commented in order to fill the awkward silence that followed as he continued to observe the two men.

"Yeah, days-old bodies usually are," Danny retorted while maintaining his focus on Jimmy who was still purposely ignoring him. "How ya doing, kid?"

"Fine," Jimmy sighed quickly as he turned to his TO. "We done here, Sarge?"

Renzulli's brows arched up into his hairline at the icy tone coming from his normally affable partner; the tension between these two was palpable. "Yeah...yeah, we are. We just got reassigned to another sector. Let's go, Jimmy," he ordered with nod to the detective. Renzulli turned to lead the way back to the RMP only to realize that his partner was already climbing into the car and he was left to continue wondering what had happened between the two men.

Jackie joined Danny on the sidewalk as he watched Jimmy and Renzuilli drive away. "Wow. I got the chills just looking at you two," she quipped. "So I take it he's still not willing to talk to any of you?"

"Nope. He refuses to answer my calls...must be screening all his calls actually, because he won't pick up for any of us," Danny said.

"Well, I guess when you grow up without any family other that nutty mother of his -"

"She's not his mother!" Danny growled with a flash of anger. It was an insult to all mothers out there, his especially, to give Sherry Riordan that title.

"But he thinks she is...was?" Jackie debated the best tense to use before giving up with a shrug. "Whatever. Point is, the kid probably doesn't have to guess too hard as to who's blowing up his phone if he's got nobody else," Jackie reasoned.

"He's even avoiding my old man," Danny stated sadly.

Jackie let out a low whistle. "That's ballsy considering that's his boss," she remarked.

"I guess we can't blame him," Danny sighed.

"No you can't," Jackie agreed and shrugged again when her partner gave her an incredulous look. "You said it yourself, that it was one of your fears about telling him. How would you feel if someone cornered you one night and told you your whole life was a lie? Maybe his life hasn't been perfect, but it's his life, all he's ever known. And add to that the fact that his _mother_ ," she said with air quotes to avoid another outburst, "stole from him what would have been a pretty fantastic childhood as a mini-Reagan. That just..." Jackie paused as she realized there weren't any adequate words to describe this situation. "It just sucks, Reagan."

"We didn't corner him! And we had a lot taken from us too!" Danny contended as his arms went across his chest.

"I know you didn't and I agree, you all lost just as much, but look at it from his perspective. You dragged him to the commissioner's house in Bay Ridge when he was expecting beers and baseball at a hole-in-the-wall bar and, whammo! He's hit in the face with all of this. His whole world's upside down and he's got nobody to go to except for the woman you're claiming kidnapped him when he was a baby."

"I know that!" Danny barked, angry at how FUBAR everything was now. "That's why this all feels even worse," he admitted sadly. "And I really like the kid too. I just want him to give us a chance...let us help him," he said while leaning back against the nearest cruiser as exhaustion caught up with him. "And to help us put that woman away too."

"He'll come around," Jackie said encouragingly. "All of this needs to sink in first and he needs to sort through all of that hurt and anger and realize who it really should be directed at. Just think of the fireworks show you would have put on if the roles were reversed...now that would have been an explosion of nuclear proportions."

Danny rolled his eyes at Jackie's attempt at levity. "I know that, but I hope it's sooner rather than later."

"Why's that?" Jackie wondered until it hit her suddenly. "Oh. Yeah, those results are due back soon, huh?"

"Any day now," Danny confirmed.

* * *

Renzulli navigated the RMP down Broadway as he snuck worried little glances at his partner. He usually had the kid behind the wheel, preferring to be chauffeured around town now that Jimmy had some experience under his belt, but his partner had been morose and distracted, two things that could get a cop hurt if he didn't have his mind in the game and he'd had enough with the close calls already. It was about time the kid clued him in on what was going on with him so that he could help him. "So what's the deal with you, Riordan?"

"Nothing." Jimmy's answer was automatic and well-practiced as he stared aimlessly through the window. He should of banged in sick today, it would have been better than running into Danny Reagan at that scene and now the sarge would probably question him to death. The whole family had been calling him since he'd stormed out of their home on Friday. He'd left the commissioner's house angry and confused as their ridiculous allegations and lies continuously echoed in his head. He was having trouble believing any of it. _And what was the point?_ he kept asking himself. _Were they so crazy and desperate that they were trying to fill some void from a long ago missing child and latching onto him because of a physical resemblance to another family member that he had yet to meet?_

Those questions and many more had filled his mind all weekend before he'd turned furious once more as he thought about how they had all befriended him just so they could investigate him like some perp. Determined to prove them all wrong and have something to throw back in their faces, Jimmy had pulled out the old certified copy of his birth certificate and studied it closely, but hell if he knew what he was looking for to disprove their claim that it was a fake. He'd seen the damned thing a dozen times before, whenever he needed to present it for school registrations or new employment, and had never had anyone question its authenticity. It had to be real. So he decided to go one step further; convinced that Danny and Erin had screwed up somehow when they said that the Department of Health had no record of his birth, he went online to order a birth certificate straight from Albany. But that was when his stomach had first begun to roll with fear, when the words 'no match found' stared him in the face. Maybe he'd done something wrong, he reasoned, and re-entered the search parameters carefully, yet he still got the same results. Not willing to give up, he placed a call to the Department of Health on Monday morning and a representative confirmed that there was no record of birth for one James Riordan born on January 3, 1988. Hearing those words from a complete stranger knocked the breath out of him.

"Nothing, huh? Cause it sure doesn't seem like nothing," Renzulli scoffed. "You've been mopey this week, my friend. And you've barely said two words today. What? Did you have a fight with your new best friend?"

Jimmy bit the inside of his cheek and his stomach clenched as Renzulli alluded to the encounter with Danny Reagan. He didn't know what to think of the situation with his birth certificate, but it scared him. If that ended up being fake, then what else of what they said was true? But he stopped himself every time his mind would wander there, not wanting to believe any of what they were claiming. There had to be an explanation for all of this, but he definitely wasn't ready to deal with the Reagans again either. "It's nothing, sarge," he insisted.

"Hmph. Sure, kid," Renzulli grumbled. He would get off his back for now, needing to make sure that at least one of them remained focused on the job. But come quitting time, James Riordan better have his ass ready to do some explaining. He couldn't take much more of him like this.

Jimmy's mind went back to the commissioner's tale of his missing son...so he looked like one of his other kids, big deal. How was that enough to conclude that he and this missing Jamie were one in the same? Jimmy rubbed his hands up and down his face as a headache began to build behind his eyes and then took a peek over at Renzulli to gauge how much trouble he was in when he caught sight of the four service stripe patches on the sleeve of his TO's jacket. The sarge had been around long enough, maybe he could offer him a little insight on the Reagan Family history. "Can I ask you something, sarge?"

"Shoot," Renzulli ordered as he turned the RMP onto a less busy street.

"What do you know about the Reagans?"

"What do I know about the...what kind of question is that, Jimmy? You got an issue with them or something?" Renzulli fretted.

"No," Jimmy lied, not willing to discuss Friday's ambush just yet.

Renzulli's eyes narrowed at the obvious lie but decided to go with it and see what the kid was fishing for. "Well, what do you wanna know?"

Jimmy licked his lips as he debated over what to ask first, but he decided to start right where the commissioner had on Friday night. "Is it true that they lost a kid?"

Renzulli's brow wrinkled in surprise. He hadn't expected that question, but sadly it was still an often whispered topic of conversation among some because of the sad, dramatic circumstances involved. "No," he answered, much to Jimmy's surprise as he began to think that the Reagans were playing some sort of dirty trick on him and inexplicably using a horribly distasteful tale to do it.

"They lost two kids...two sons," Renzulli clarified.

Jimmy's jaw dropped. "Two?"

"Yup," Renzulli sighed with a heavy heart, wondering what the family had done to deserve that kind of punishment.

"What happened?" Jimmy questioned, wondering if the story of the missing baby was indeed true.

"Remember when I told you that you reminded me of an old boot of mine?" Renzulli asked.

"Yeah."

"I was talking about Joe Reagan," Renzulli revealed.

"Joe?" Jimmy echoed as he recalled the commissioner mentioning the same name.

"Yeah. Good kid...great cop," Renzulli said with a sad smile. "He made detective in three and a half years, just like his brother Danny...just as great as him too, but Joe was a hell of a lot more level-headed and patient...great with people, just like I told you that you are."

Jimmy nodded and pressed for more. He hadn't realized that this Joe was even dead. "So what happened to him?"

"Terrible thing," Renzulli sighed heavily. "Feds pulled him in to work undercover to investigate the Blue Templar."

"Blue Templar?"

"It was this old underground fraternal organization within the department. It was started decades ago to clean up and rid the department of corrupt cops. It was more of a thing before I joined. I thought it was nothing more than a myth, but it was real and by invitation only...very, very exclusive."

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing," Jimmy remarked. He was all for ridding the department of any bad eggs.

"It is when the good cops turn into the bad cops they were supposed to kick out of the department...too much power and greed," he said as Jamie hung on to his every word. "Anyway, Joe was sent in to investigate and it turned out his own guys were dirty. The feds suspected they were moving serious amounts of drugs and cash, robbing the perps and leaving a trail of bodies behind to keep mouths shut. But at some point, someone made Joe. He was shot four times while he and his squad were serving a warrant one day."

"They took him out?!" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah. Took him out and covered it up. No one had a clue and the commissioner and his family, they thought they'd lost Joe because of a bust gone bad. And they had, but not in the way they thought."

"How could that happen?! Why wasn't the commissioner involved?!" Jimmy questioned.

"I don't know, kid, above my pay grade. All I can tell you is the scuttlebutt."

Jimmy faced forward, not sure of what to think. To lose someone that way was unthinkable. "How did they figure it out?" he wondered out loud.

"Feds. They went to Danny, looking for someone else to do their dirty work for them, just like they did with Joe."

"And Danny figured it all out?"

"Almost...word is they got suspicious of Danny pretty quick. There was even talk they tried to take him out too but failed. Anyhow, the commissioner was involved at some point and the whole group went down. One of them, biggest scumbag in the bunch, ate his gun...preferred that to prison. If you ask me, he got off easy, the damn coward."

Jimmy didn't expect to hear all of that and his mind was reeling as he remembered what both Renzulli and the commissioner had said. "And Joe...I really look like him?"

Renzulli turned wide eyes on his partner, surprised by that question, but nodded. "Yeah, kid. You really do. Your skills are one thing, but it didn't even occur to me just how much you looked like him until I saw his photo in the commissioner's office one day. You two could be brothers," he commented not knowing how true those words were or the effect they would have on Jimmy.

Shock washed over Jimmy as he stared wide-eyed at his partner who, luckily for him, became distracted with cursing out the driver in front of him. "You said two, sarge."

"Two what?"

"You said he lost two kids. Who's the other?"

"Oh, him," Renzulli said. "That one I couldn't tell you about a whole lot. It happened while I was in the academy."

"What did?"

"This was twenty plus years ago now, I guess," Renzulli recalled, thinking back to that time when he was still a hopeful cadet. "Anyway, back when the commissioner was still a detective, his baby son got snatched from a park in Brooklyn in the middle of the day. It was _big_ news when it happened since it was the son of an NYPD detective and the grandson of an NYPD Chief...cute kid if I remember correctly. But the baby disappeared into thin air, never to be found again, poor thing. I can't imagine which was worse, losing that baby or losing Joe, but I'm sure there's no way to really measure those things...just terrible either way." Renzulli shook his head as he remembered one last thing. "You know, people say that the commissioner keeps his son's case file in his desk drawer, hoping one day to close it for good. Can you imagine?"

A cold sweat began to roll down the sides of Jimmy's face as he turned a disconcerting shade of green.

"Hey, kid. You okay?" Renzulli worried when he noticed his partner's complexion had gone ashen.

Jimmy swallowed thickly as he feared there really might be something to what the Reagans had told him on Friday. "I think I'm gonna be sick,"he whispered.

"Jesus, Jimmy! You need a doctor or something?!" Renzulli shouted into the small confines of the RMP as his partner's breathing grew shallow. He pulled the car over to the curb and reached over to steady him.

Jimmy was on the verge of hyperventilating and latched on to the door handle with a death grip. "I need to go home, sarge," he pleaded, certain he was about to lose the small contents of his stomach.

* * *

 _Poor Jimmy is starting to find it more difficult to deny the truth. And indisputable proof of what was suspected all along comes to light in the next update. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_Short chapter today..._

Chapter 14

Frank walked through the door to his office with his assistant following dutifully behind as she did every morning when he arrived. Usually she would be going through his schedule for the day as was her custom during his arrival, but she knew him well enough to read his mood and the dark cloud that had arrived with him on Monday morning was warning enough that there was no need for inane pleasantries or needless customs. When he got like this, he stuck to the day's schedule with no questions, comments or complaints unless absolutely necessary. Frank trudged through his duties and responsibilities like the good little soldier he was, even while his life was in turmoil. And his people had the good sense to leave him alone...until they didn't.

Frank's jaw clenched when his DCPI slipped through the open door of his office even as Baker silently warned him with a look that it wasn't a good time, not yet at least.

"I haven't even taken my coat off, Garrett," he grumbled as he removed the outerwear and handed it off to Baker who carefully hung it on the coat stand. "Or had my coffee."

"I didn't think you'd want to wait for this," Garrett assumed as he motioned to the manila envelope in his hand.

Baker's eyes widened, catching the motion as well and fully aware of what he was referring to. She and Garrett were the only two members of his inner circle at 1PP with whom Frank had shared his suspicions about James Riordan, needing their help at first when they had been nothing more than that. And with Danny and Erin on the case, Garrett and Baker had assisted in keeping tabs on Riordan for him.

Frank stared back in silence, his finger tips brushing along the edge of the desk to maintain his balance. "You got it," he stated in a soft whisper.

Baker took her cue to leave the room. She prayed that her boss found what he was looking for, but knew he wouldn't want an audience if he didn't.

"Directly from my guy at the lab," Garrett reported as he approached Frank and held out the sealed results with a hopeful expression.

Frank's eyes fell to the proffered envelope but he couldn't get himself to accept it. "What does it say?" he rasped.

Garrett blinked back in surprise. "I haven't looked, Frank," he advised. "I wouldn't dare. I leave that to you and the family." He might be too nosey for his own good, but even he had limits.

"I don't know that I can, Garrett," Frank confessed in a timid and weak voice that Garrett Moore had never heard come out of his friend's mouth. "What if it's another dead end and we've screwed with this boy's life?" he said. Frank had agonized over every decision they'd made concerning James Riordan, the last few days being the most painful as they waited for the results of the paternity test using just the sample they'd taken from Jimmy's glass. He had questioned whether they should have even proceeded with the test considering the way things had ended, but he was at a point now that he just needed to rid himself of all doubt.

"You haven't screwed with his life; I agree there's something fishy going on with him and it needs to be dealt with," Garrett assured him. "But you won't know whether he could be your son unless you look."

"And if he isn't?" Frank queried.

"Then we keep looking, right? You're not one to give up Frank," Garrett encouraged.

Frank took a breath, feeling almost resigned to the same bad news he was used to getting. "Maybe after twenty-five years, it's better to."

"That's nonsense and you know it," Garrett argued. "But you won't know the truth about Jimmy until you look."

"Can you do it?" Frank requested.

"Me?"

"Yeah. At this point, I'm not sure I'd be able to make heads or tails of anything you'd put in front of me, Garrett," Frank said.

"Don't you want the family here with you or better yet, do you want to go home and open this there?"

"I can't," Frank said with a pained look. "I need to do this alone first...well, obviously not alone if I'm asking you to read the report, but I'm not sure I could stand their reactions right now if it's not..." Frank trailed off as he averted his eyes. If they had failed again to find Jamie, Frank would need some time to process that before going to the family.

"I get it," Garrett nodded. He looked Frank square in the eyes, his heart clenching at the fear he saw in them. "Okay," he agreed and proceeded to slip one finger under the gummed flap of the letter-sized envelope, glancing up at his boss just in case he changed his mind. But when Frank remained rooted in the same spot next to his desk, fighting to keep his breathing calm and even, Garrett did as instructed and read through the report carefully. The last thing he needed was to give the wrong findings and possibly crush his friend's spirits, not that they were all that high to begin with.

Frank concentrated on Garret's face, waiting for any tells that would give away the results, but none came. Although he shouldn't have expected any; Garrett Moore was a master at his craft, born for PR and he knew how to mask his emotions when it came to sensitive matters. "Well?" Frank prompted when he lost his patience.

Garrett looked into Frank's eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat, opening and closing his mouth several times as he struggled to find his voice, his own eyes softening up once he did. "You can stop looking, Frank," he announced softly.

Frank's face contorted in confusion, surely he hadn't heard him right and he shoved his hands into his pockets to hide their tremor. "Seriously?" he said in a voice that cracked with emotion.

"I would never kid about this, Frank," Garrett swore. "You found him," he added with a sympathetic smile at his friend who remained in a stunned silence.

Frank blinked frantically, unable to voice a jumble of thoughts. _This had to be a dream,_ he thought as his breathing grew shallow.

"Alright, Frank. Why don't we take a seat, my friend," Garrett suggested as he manhandled the larger man into his desk chair when it appeared that his legs might give out on him. A chuckle erupted from Garrett's throat as he too remained in disbelief, but it was right there in the report, which he placed in front of Frank so he could see it for himself.

Frank read the results through watery eyes, sniffling softly as he read the line at the bottom of the page: _'Probability of Paternity - 99.9999%'_. Frank took a large, shaky breath as he considered that they were far from done. "Now comes the harder part," he croaked.

"Come again?" Garrett asked in confusion.

"Getting him to accept the truth," Frank explained. The pain and confusion on Jimmy's face after they'd tried explaining everything to him was still etched in his mind.

"Go to him, Frank," Garrett urged him.

Frank shook his head, scared of being rejected and just plain doubting his ability to stand on shaky legs right now. "I don't know where he is. Can you..."

"Already done...sort of," Garrett replied and smiled at the Frank's confusion. "I figured one way or another you'd have to go see him."

"Is he on tour?" Frank asked, now feeling a need to lay eyes on his youngest... _Dear Lord, he never really thought he'd have this opportunity!_ And just like that, Frank Reagan jumped out of his chair, ready to head out to see his Jamie. He was done wasting time.

"No. That's what I meant by sort of," Garrett smirked at the change in Frank's demeanor. "He banged in sick today. According to his TO, he came down with some sort of bug yesterday in the middle of their tour. He had to clock out early. He should be at home and you already know where that is."

"I need to go," Frank declared as he grabbed an old, worn file from his desk drawer and slipped the test results inside. He then snatched his overcoat and headed for the door.

"Do you want to call Danny or Erin...your father first maybe?" Garrett suggested as he followed behind.

"I'll call them from the car, but I need to see him on my own," Frank said while stopping to slip his arms into his coat. "Last time we we all got together, he felt ambushed. I need to do this alone."

* * *

 _No more doubts! Now Jimmy just has to accept the truth so it's time for Frank to take off the commissioner's hat and just be Jimmy's father...if he'll allow it._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"It would explain so much, wouldn't it?" Jimmy asked himself as he laid atop his bed, still clad in the same old worn blue jeans and gray henley he'd worn home yesterday from the precinct after the sarge had cut their tour short. Jimmy had barely made it to the locker room in time to puke his brains out, ignoring the concerned looks from his colleagues as his TO cleared a path down the hall for him. Renzulli had been on the verge of calling for a bus when the painful wretching bounced off the tiled walls of the bathroom, turning his own stomach in the process. The older man's mind ran rampant on what had brought it all on, even going so far as to worry that it was related to the recent gunshot wound he'd suffered. Once his stomach had settled down enough to be able to distance himself from the bathroom, Jimmy had blamed the illness on his questionable choice of breakfast foods, insisting that he just needed to go home and lie down. Renzulli had been skeptical, but conceded eventually, getting him clocked out and going so far as to deliver him back to his apartment for which Jimmy would be forever grateful as he wasn't sure he would have tolerated the subway ride out to Brooklyn.

His stomach remained queasy throughout the rest of the day and into the night as he began to analyze every single aspect of his life, going back to his earliest childhood memories. They all consisted of himself and a mother who showed him minimum attention, never gave him any real love or affection and preferred to be out with friends or meeting new men, hoping to one day land one that would give her the life that she thought she deserved. But he was always in the way, wasn't he? The men she brought home had no interest in being a father to her bastard son...hell, she had no interest in being his mother. He assumed most people felt some sort of connection to their parents and vice versa, but him and his mom? They were like two strangers...maybe that wasn't true, because he knew how to read her better than anybody. He knew when to stay out of her way, which was always, especially if he wanted to avoid her wrath. He sometimes wondered why she kept him around but was reminded of the reason when the monthly government assistance checks and food stamps arrived. She'd always said he served his purpose in that regard.

When he was little, Jimmy Riordan always dreamed about having a regular family with a mother and a father and maybe even some brothers and sisters to play with, to be a part of a family like the ones some of his school friends had. _What if that was what I was supposed to have all along? Where would I be today?_

Jimmy was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected sharp knock on his door. He frowned and turned to look at the clock on a side table recalling that Renzulli had promised to try and stop by to check on him at some point. Jimmy wasn't in the mood for any company but his sergeant was relentless as evidenced by the second round of knocking. He sighed and rolled off his bed with a groan and shuffled to the door. "I'm fine, sarge, but not so sure I'll make it -" he began to say to his boss but lost his voice when he realized it wasn't the boss he was expecting to find on the other side of the door. Jimmy stiffened, tempted to throw the door shut but this was the freaking commissioner of the NYPD. Despite wanting to keep a distance while he got his head on straight, he couldnt do anything to jeopardize his job. It was the only thing he loved and Jimmy only had himself to count on. "Sir."

"Can I come in?" Frank asked while tightly gripping the case file he'd brought with him in his hands.

Jimmy said nothing at first. A part of him was angry at the commissioner and his family for going behind his back to tell him his life was a lie while the rest of him wondered about the truth...who the hell was he? Curiosity won out in the end and Jimmy stepped aside. Frank Reagan walked into his tiny apartment once again while the ever present bodyguard remained in the hallway. Jimmy through the door shut; it wasn't like he had room for him anyway. Jimmy walked past Frank on the way to his bed and flopped onto the mattress, thrusting himself back against the wall as he crossed his arms and legs in front of him to wait and see what the commissioner had to say this time around. He didn't feel the need to be polite in offering the man a seat, he'd probably make himself at home anyway.

Frank bit his lip as memories of similar encounters with three stubborn teenagers came to mind. Upset with him for one reason or another, they too held themselves in the same way once he was ready to deal with them, but this was different and not the result of teenage angst. Frank just hoped that Jimmy would hear him out this time. "Your sergeant said you banged in sick. You alright?" he asked, taking note of the rumpled, slept in clothes and the dark smudges underneath his eyes.

"I'm fine. What are you here to tell me this time?" Jimmy huffed as his anger rose to the surface.

Frank took a seat in the side chair and placed the file on the end of the coffee table. "I don't know how to start this time," Frank admitted nervously. "But I know you're due an apology."

Jimmy's head snapped up, still fearing what he was going to hear.

"I'm sorry for the way we handled this, Jimmy. It wasn't our intention to ambush you with this," Frank said with heavy remorse.

"But you did," Jimmy sniped back and averted his eyes once again.

Frank pursed his lips and breathed in heavily through his nose, leaning forward and clasping his hands together as he attempted to explain himself again. He could see that this wasn't going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever was. "I wasn't lying when I said I felt something that day I first laid eyes on you. My gut told me there was something special about you and I began to hope against all hope that a decades-old wish had come true. I was wrong to sic Danny on you like I did, but you gotta know that Danny wanted to spend all of that time with you, to get to know you...he wasn't just doing my bidding, but saw something special in you too even if you weren't our Jamie."

Jimmy still couldn't look at him but he was smart enough to know that he wouldn't have shown up on his doorstep if he didn't have some more news to deliver. "Why are you really here now?"

Frank could feel a lump forming in his throat and he wasn't sure he'd be able to find his voice right now so he opened the file and stared at the loose document at the top of the stack for several moments before turning it and sliding it to the center of the table.

Jimmy faced the commissioner when he heard the soft rustling of paper and took a wild guess as to what that was. "You did it, the, uh...the DNA test?" he stammered with a heart that pounded away in his chest.

"Yes," Frank rasped.

Jimmy was taken aback by the emotion, staring at the report as he scooted forward until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He scanned the entire document until his eyes landed on a line near the bottom of the page. Jimmy's vision swam when everything sank in, grateful that he was already sitting down.

Frank looked on, waiting for some sort of reaction. Jimmy was stock still, gripping the edge of the mattress as if It were some sort of lifeline. He was just about to ask a ridiculous question when Jimmy's gravelly voice broke the silence.

"It's all been a lie...my whole life," he said as his eyes filled.

"I'm so sorry," Frank said, his own heart clenching at seeing a once proud NYPD officer reduced to a quivering mass who'd lost his whole identity in a matter of days. Frank wanted to celebrate and take his son in his arms and hold him tight, but fought the desire for now, fearing that would only send him running again.

Jimmy blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall, letting his eyes drift to the thick file sitting next to the paternity test results. "What is that?" he asked softly.

Frank pursed his lips. He didn't know how much more the boy could stand to hear today, but he was determined to answer any questions he asked and would do anything to help him through this. "It's your case file," Frank advised.

Jimmy remained silent until suddenly he needed to know everything. "How did it happen?"

"We don't have to go through -"

"I have a right to know," Jimmy proclaimed with no idea about whom he should direct his anger at. "I want to know the truth," he said as he pinned Frank with a look that warned him not to lie or sugarcoat anything.

"I can only tell you what we know," Frank said.

Jimmy took a shaky breath and immediately doubted that he was ready to hear this, but before he knew it, Frank Reagan, his father, was handing him an old yellowed photograph from the file jacket. Jimmy held the photo between trembling fingers and looked at the same eyes he saw everyday in the mirror as Frank began to speak.

"It was August 16, 1988. Your mom, Mary, took you, your brothers Danny and Joe, and your sister Erin to the park just three blocks from the house in Bay Ridge. It was a ridiculously hot day but your brothers and sister, they were driving Mary crazy at home...it was near the end of summer and the kids were a little more restless than usual. She was alone with the four of you that day because I was on tour and your grandmother, Betty, she had a ladies luncheon, otherwise she was usually around to help out especially since you were so much younger than the others. Anyway, your mom said she found a shaded spot under an old oak tree along the perimeter of the playground where she sat with you while the older kids played," Frank paused as he thought back to that time when their family was so happy and complete with their last addition to the family...Jamie had been an unexpected, but welcomed surprise. "You were such a good baby," he said with a fond smile. "You and Joe were by far the most easygoing of all the kids, Danny being the most stubborn and strong-willed...hopefully you'll get see that for yourself."

"I think I already have," Jimmy commented while remaining focused on the photo.

Frank smirked for a moment before proceeding. "Anyway, Mary said you had just nodded off and she put you in your stroller when Joe flew off one of the swings during some competition he was having with Danny to see who could go highest...Joe was only six and Danny ten, but he was always determined to keep up with his brother. Joe went face first into the sand below and came up with a bloody nose. Mary said she hesitated, not wanting to leave you alone, but wouldn't have been able to drag the stroller through the sand to get to Joe. He was crying and laying face down in the sand where he fell and you were asleep so she went to him. It wasn't more the 20 feet and she swore she wasn't gone for more than 10 or 15 seconds...but when she turned back towards the bench with Joe in her arms...you were gone." Frank came to a stop and the memories from that day flooded his mind. "Mary panicked immediately, handed Joe off to Danny, told him to to watch him and Erin...started screaming your name, searching the playground...Someone called the police and I got the news over the radio while I was at a crime scene. I don't think I could breathe on the whole ride over from Manhattan...I kept praying it was all some sort of mistake, but when I got there, I knew it was about as bad as it could be...Mary and the kids, they were all in tears and you were nowhere to be found."

Another moment of silence fell over the room until Frank was able to continue. That was when Jimmy looked to Frank and his own throat closed up at the pain etched across his weary face.

Frank sniffled quickly and went on. "No one really saw anything...witnesses saw a blonde woman with a baby, but that fit the description of about a half dozen others in the park. Every available unit was called to canvass the neighborhood. A couple of guys I'd worked with, great detectives, were called to work the case...Mary refused to leave the park, not without you. Mom took the kids back to the house for us...it was dark by the time I convinced her to go. Your disappearance was big news, because of how young you were and because of my job and pop's too. And I was glad for that. I'd worked cases of missing children that went unsolved and I'm not ashamed to admit that I wanted any advantage necessary to find you. But nothing ever came."

"Did you ever stop searching?"

Frank looked long and hard into Jimmy's eyes, silently answering his question before he even voiced it. "Never."

"And you think my mother," Jimmy paused to correct himself when he saw Frank flinch subtly at his words, "you think Sherry did this?"

"She got you somehow but there's only one way to know for sure."

Jimmy's eyes widened in disbelief, leaving no doubt that he understood what Frank was suggesting. "She couldn't have...she's got a lot of shortcomings, but she couldn't have done that!" He didn't even know why he felt the need to defend her. "And you want me to..." Jamie trailed off at what was being asked of him so soon after getting the rug pulled out from under him. "I can't do that! What the hell do you want me to say?! You want me to wear a wire and walk up to her and say, 'hey mom, just found out you really aren't? Can you tell me how I ended up as your son for the past 25 years?' Do you really expect her to tell me what you think is the truth? To admit to some crime?!"

"We have enough for a warrant for her arrest, but whoever else is responsible, if she didn't act alone, deserves to be punished, we just don't know if she had an accomplice. I'm sorry for asking, I am...and this is not an order. I understand the burden I am placing on your shoulders on top of everything that you have to deal with now and I will understand if you don't do it, in which case, this will never come up again...but I am asking."

This was too much, all of it was just to much to deal with. "I need some time," Jimmy pleaded. "I just need to be alone right now."

Frank pursed his lips, afraid he'd pushed too hard too soon by placing him in such an uncomfortable position, but stood as he prepared to leave and allow him the space he needed as his mind scrambled for the right words to say. In the end, Frank reached out and gripped the back of Jimmy's neck, rubbing his thumb gently across the soft, short hair on the back of his head and gave him a gentle squeeze. It was less contact than he wanted but he knew better than to force himself on the boy anymore than he already had.

Jimmy closed his eyes at the warmth of his father's large hand and clenched his jaw at the unfamiliar affection he was receiving. It wasn't until the door closed softly behind Frank that Jimmy finally allowed his tears to fall.

* * *

 _Jimmy still needs some time to accept the truth but some words of advice from his TO might help him see the way._

 _Thank you to everyone who has left a review...you're the best! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_A little Renzulli therapy and we see the rest of the family's reaction to the DNA results..._

Chapter 16

"Come on, kid. Open up!" Renzulli demanded as he banged on Jimmy's door later that afternoon after tour. The kid had been ignoring his calls all day, which had him more worried than he was yesterday after his attempt to puke out his insides. So he'd rushed over after work with a quick stop by a deli for some soup; he'd bet his right arm that Jimmy hadn't bothered to eat all day. "I know you're in there," Renzulli said as he banged a little harder on the door. There was no way he wasn't being heard, Jimmy's place was no bigger than postage stamp. "And if you're not, I'll kick your but myself since you bailed on me today!" he warned. That was when he heard the sound of the locks being undone and the door opened a crack, but there was no sign of his boot. Renzulli frowned at the chilly welcome as he went through the door, pushing it closed behind him.

Jimmy dragged himself back to bed and let himself fall on top in a boneless heap.

Renzulli placed the container of hot soup on the end of the kitchen counter as he took in the kid's appearance. Jimmy was still in the same clothes he'd worn home yesterday and had over a full day's worth of scruff on a drawn and pale face, but nothing concerned Renzulli more than the puffy, red-rimmed eyes Jimmy hid under the crook of his elbow as soon as he was horizontal again. "Nice to see you too, Riordan," he said worriedly. "Jeez, you don't look any better. In fact...you look worse than you did yesterday. You sure you don't know need a doctor or something, kid?"

"Doc isn't going to fix this," Jimmy muttered with a hopeless, empty tone. "Nothing is."

Renzulli's frown deepened while waiting for an explanation, but Jimmy wasn't offering him any more clues on what was wrong. He took a seat to wait him out before he began to poke and prod some more when he noticed the papers spread out across the small coffee table. "What the hell..." he whispered as he glanced across the scattering of what he easily identified as police investigative reports. "What's going on kid? What is this?" he pressed when his eyes landed on the name typed across an old, yellowed label on the side tab of the folder. "And what the hell are you doing with this?! That's the file on the commissioner's kid, the one that disappeared!"

Jimmy fisted his hands and rubbed his burning eyes. "He's not missing anymore," he announced flatly.

"Say what?! I'm not following, Jimmy...tell me what the hell is going on here! How the hell did you get your hands on that case file?! The commissioner catches wind of this and he'll have your ass!" he said as the volume of his voice rose with each word. Renzulli jumped to his feet while he tried figuring out what the kid had gotten himself into. Whatever it was, he didn't think he'd be able to get him out of it.

"He's the one that brought it over," Jimmy revealed as he stared up at the cracked ceiling.

"What?! Tell me what the hell is going on, kid! And I mean now!" he demanded.

Jimmy sat up despite the exhaustion he felt and sighed heavily before he began explaining, starting with the commissioner's visit at the hospital straight through to his encounter with their boss that same morning. Jimmy slumped forward after he managed to get everything out.

"Holy crap, kid," Renzulli gasped as he fell back into the rickety chair.

"Yeah." Jimmy knew that about summed up this whole effed up situation.

Renzulli glanced back up at Jimmy. This was so much worse than the stomach bug he thought the kid was dealing with and he couldn't imagine what was going through his head. "You okay, uh...," he paused for a few seconds and his brow wrinkled. "What the hell do I call you?" he wondered out loud.

"I have no idea," Jimmy said with a dejected shake of his head.

Renzulli was as astounded as any of them and as a result, forgot himself as questions began to too roll off his tongue. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know."

"You gonna talk to your mom in Buffalo?"

"I don't know," Jimmy sighed.

"You gonna try to become part of the family? Start joining them on the famous Sunday dinners people say they have every week?"

Frustrated by the barrage of questions, Jimmy sprang from the bed and began to pace the very short length of his apartment. "I don't know, alright! I'm still trying to get my head around this! Don't you get it?! I'm not who I thought I was! My whole life has been a lie and my mother isn't my mother! What the hell do I do now?!" he exploded. He finally came to a stop in front of the only window in the apartment and intertwined his fingers along the back of his neck, wishing to be as far away from New York state as he could possible get.

Renzulli looked on in sympathy, wanting to say something to make this better, but there were no words that could. "I don't know, Jimmy. I can't even...Jesus."

"Do you think I should go back to Buffalo?" he asked quietly as he continued to stare out at the brick wall that was his view while the commissioner's request echoed in his mind. He didn't know if he could...how would he get the words out? Lord knew he'd never even sat down to have a civilized conversation with Sherry Riordan; they all went down hill fast with her verbal jabs and insults whose central theme centered on how much he'd held her back in life. And if she really felt that way and what they suspected was true, why the hell had she bothered to take him from his family? Why had she kept him around?

"I can't make that decision for you, kid...wish I could," Renzulli replied.

"Sarge, please," Jimmy begged and he turned to face his boss. He was the closest thing he had to a role model, a father figure, even a true friend and he was desperate for someone to tell him what to do.

Renzulli's gut clenched at the pained expression on Jimmy's face. He couldn't tell him what to do in this case, but he could help him figure it out. "In all the time we've ridden together, you barely ever spoke about your family in Buffalo...think about why that is."

Jimmy leaned back against the window ledge. "That's because I didn't have any...no one other than her."

"This would all make sense then," Renzulli reasoned. "Most people who got dysfunctional families, they still know where they come from...and as crazy as family can get, most don't keep it all hidden like you did unless there is something really bad to hide. Maybe deep down, you knew it all along...you didn't belong to her, Jimmy. You belonged somewhere else. Maybe it's about time you learned the truth. You owe it to yourself to try and get it." Renzulli could see the wheels spinning in Jimmy's head. It probably wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he had to be the one to take control back of his life. "One thing I can tell you though, you hit the lottery with the Reagan Family," he added and waited until Jimmy's eyes met his. "But so did they."

Jimmy understood what Renzulli was saying, he just didn't know if he could do it. And then another thought hit him. "What happened to the commissioner's wife, sarge?" Both she and Joe were missing from all of this and he already knew of Joe's fate.

Renzulli's face fell, hating to be the bearer of more bad news, but he wouldn't lie to the kid. He didn't deserve that...never did. "She passed a few years before Joe did...from cancer. I don't know much else, Jimmy...I'm sorry."

Jimmy's chin trembled as he wondered what else had been taken from him.

* * *

Frank took a seat next to his sniffling daughter and slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders as he held a tissue box in front of her with the other.

"Thanks, dad," Erin said as she plucked two tissues from the box to wipe at her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized in a quivering voice, feeling guilty that he was trying to comfort her. She was so happy, she really was, but she couldn't stop the waterworks no matter how hard she tried; she could only imagine how her father was feeling. It was what they all wanted, but it was still overwhelming.

"Don't apologize, sweetie. I had the same reaction," he offered with a gentle rub of her back.

"It's really him," Danny stated in amazement while straddling the arm of the sofa. It was the nearest surface he had to fall back on when his father had delivered the news...that their brother had indeed been found. There was no more doubt that James Riordan was Jameson Reagan...he couldn't believe it.

And neither could Erin. "I can't believe this. After all these years," she sniffled into her tissue.

"How is he, Francis?" Henry questioned. He was thrilled to know his youngest grandson was alive and well...and he was a cop, of all things! It seemed that it was true as far as they were concerned...being a cop really was in their blood.

"Shell shocked," Frank sighed while slouching against the back of the couch.

"That's the understatement of the year, Francis."

"I know that, pop," Frank said with a sad smile.

"What do we do now?" Erin asked.

"Nothing," Frank advised.

"Nothing?" Erin echoed in confusion.

"What do you mean nothing?!" Danny barked, finding his legs once again as he stood to stare down at his father.

"The next step is not up to us. It's Jimmy's."

"Jimmy? Why are you calling him that? He's our Jamie," Erin argued. _And why wasn't he here?,_ she wondered. He should be here where they could take care of him. She couldn't wait to throw her arms around him and welcome him home, but it was very likely she'd be a bumbling mess and wouldn't be able to get an intelligible word out of her mouth.

"He's spent the last 25 years as James Riordan. What happens next, what he wants to go by...it's up to him, not us," Frank explained. He was thrilled at the fact that Jamie was alive after decades of not knowing. Now he had hopes that Jimmy would want to be a part of the family and that they would have the chance to get to know him and give him all of the love and care he deserved, every ounce that they'd been unable to give him over the years. But he wasn't willing to force himself on the boy. He didn't want to make any more mistakes.

"So what does that mean? If he wants no part of us, we just accept that?" Danny inquired.

"It might have to be that way," Frank answered.

"No way, uh uh. We've waited 25 years to find him and now we're just supposed to let him go again if that's what he wants?!" Danny asked defiantly.

"We can't do that, dad!" Erin exclaimed, not willing to let go of her little brother now that they had him within arm's reach.

"You'd be okay just knowing he's alive and that's it? And let him keep leading this separate life with a fake name?" Danny spat back incredulously.

"If it meant he'd be at peace...yes," Frank replied honestly, but it didn't mean that was what he preferred. "Despite how much it would pain me to not have a chance to get to know him and make him a part of this family...he's been through enough and it's about time he was allowed to take back control of his life."

"He's been in control of his life! Look at him, he's a cop in New York City and he got here on his own!" Danny exclaimed.

"All of that changed now. We know what we lost 25 years ago when he was taken, but think about what was taken from him. Where would he be if none of this had happened? And it's worse now because he knows that everything he was told when he was growing up was a lie," Frank explained.

"Your father's right...as much as I hate it, he's right," Henry added. "We can't force ourselves on him before he's ready. That might push him farther away from us."

Both Erin and Danny deflated, knowing their father was right too.

Danny collapsed into his father's arm chair and ran his hands across his face. It almost felt like they were right back at square one with the not knowing. "Do you think he'll stay with the department?" Danny wondered.

"I have no idea what he's thinking," Frank sighed. "The only thing I did ask him was if he was willing to help us find out how the Riordan woman got a hold of him."

"We have enough to arrest her, but I'm not a hundred percent sure it's enough for a grand jury to indict her for the kidnapping, not without something more damming. And what did he say?" Erin prodded.

"He needed to think about it," Frank advised.

"I don't know what there is to think about! He's a cop, for Christ's sake! This was a crime and we need to get whoever was responsible and throw them behind bars! It's his obligation to put criminals behind bars!" Danny barked.

"His job is to put criminals behind bars-"

"Reagan's don't click out at the end of tour," Danny proclaimed. "That's the first thing he's gotta learn about us!"

"This isn't some stranger we're asking him to question. As much as we may not like it, it's the woman that raised him and I will not order him to do this," Frank said as he looked sternly into each of their faces. "And neither will any of you," he ordered. "For now, we just wait."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Linda grimaced at the intensity with which Danny was cubing the potatoes for that night's dinner. She'd sweet talked him into cooking with her, shamelessly reminding him of the added kitchen duties she'd taken on during a few of the more recent Sunday dinners to keep the children occupied while the rest of the family dealt with other more sensitive matters. She had already used that ploy once before and wasn't sure it would help her secure his assistance in the kitchen again, but she wasn't ashamed to use it to her advantage, especially if it gave them an opportunity to talk. The Jamie situation, as she had begun to call it, obviously had her husband on edge and while he'd been forthcoming with the situation every step of the way, it took a little nudge to get him to talk about how it really had him feeling. And from the looks of it, she needed to get him talking before he lost a finger. "Hey! Careful with that knife! You're gonna lose a digit in a second and I already dealt with enough blood in the ER!" she admonished lightly while placing the lid back on the pot of stew she was stirring. Linda came up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist as she placed a kiss on the back of his neck. "Try and relax a little."

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration as he sliced through a small red potato, taking heed of his wife's warning. "Relax? How am I supposed to relax, Linda? It's been almost a week and the damn kid still hasn't reached out to anybody. I'm about ready to ignore dad's order and confront him myself," he said.

Linda stepped to his right and leaned against the counter so that she had a full view of his face. "You will do no such thing," she ordered.

"What?" Danny frowned, not expecting to hear that response from his wife.

"Stand down, detective, and have a little faith," she added with a gentle smile.

"Faith? Really?" he shot back and placed his knife onto the cutting board. Danny snagged the towel from his shoulder to wipe his hands before balling it up and throwing it onto the counter. "Faith waited 25 years to finally bring us some news - "

"Great news," Linda pointed out.

"Yeah, it's great news, but what good is it really if now my kid brother wants nothing to do with us? Are we supposed to wait another 25 years to see if he'll talk to us?" he pondered.

"It won't take nearly that long...you'll see," Linda said encouragingly. She had faith that it would all work out in the end, there was no way it couldn't, not with the blessing God had bestowed on them by sending Jamie back to them. They just needed to be patient and get through this bumpy road, but her husband was of a different opinion.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling the positivity like you are...I mean, how can he do this to us?" Danny griped.

"He's not doing anything, Danny," Linda corrected.

"Exactly!" Danny exclaimed with a thrust of his arms into the air while moving to the small cafe table in the corner of the kitchen to drop into a chair.

"That's not what I meant," Linda clarified as she followed behind and sat down across from him. "I meant that he's probably as messed up about all of this as you all are. You need to look at it from his perspective."

"Have you been talking to Jackie?!" Danny snapped, feeling like he was going to get the same Dr. Phil lecture from his wife too and rolled his eyes at her questioning look. "Never mind...okay...well the way I see it, his perspective should be that he should be thrilled he's got a real family that's been looking for him for 25 years and is happy to have him home! He should be getting to know us and vice versa instead of keeping his distance!"

"The world according to Daniel Reagan," Linda sighed under her breath before asking, "That's looking at it from his perspective?"

"Yeah...how the hell else should he see it?" Danny fired back. If he was honest, he knew the answer to that question but was operating on a fear that they might lose his little brother again.

"Oh, Danny," Linda said, reading him easily like only she knew how and seeing his anger for what it was. "Let's say someone comes up to you tomorrow and tells you you're not a Reagan, that you'd been taken as a baby and you belong to some strange family you never met until they all started snooping into your life without you knowing - "

"Hey! We weren't snooping!" Danny huffed.

"Okay, maybe snooping was the wrong word," Linda conceded, "but you were investigating him and even using that word doesn't soften the blow for how this all came off to him."

"It's still not the same thing, Lin. We're not perfect but our family is pretty great regardless of how crazy we drive each other. And you telling me I'm not a Reagan is not the same thing as us telling him he doesn't belong to a woman who doesn't appear to give a rat's ass about him except for how she could use him for her benefit," he argued.

"No, but it's still someone coming up to you and telling you your whole existence up until then was a lie. How would you feel, Danny?"

Danny crossed his arms in front of him, knowing it was hard to argue her point. "Crappy," he admitted. "Okay, pissed off, alright!" he corrected at Linda's knowing look. "I'd be pissed off and I understand his point of view! It was one of the things I worried about when we told him, but still...we can help him if he would just let us."

"I know, babe," Linda said as she extended her arm across the small table and waited for him to take her open hand. "You really think she only took him for money?" she asked with a gentle squeeze.

"I think she took Jamie to try and railroad that Wall Street jackass and it failed. He knew exactly who that baby was and he paid her off to get her out of town and away from him," Danny shared their theory.

"We should be grateful she didn't hurt him after that plan failed," Linda said, shuttering at the thought of all of the things that could have happened to that poor baby if this woman had been more demented than she already sounded.

"No, she didn't, but what does she do? Takes him back to Buffalo and uses him to milk the system. She barely ever held down a job, did as little as possible to take care of him and when anyone reported her to Child Services, she'd cry that she was a poor single mother doing her best, but she wasn't a mother and she wasn't doing nearly her best to take care of him."

"Gives all single, hard-working moms out there a bad name. But you are right, it's not the same as you getting news about not being a Reagan, but it's equally devastating. I know you understand, honey. Just remember that you, Daniel Reagan, are not one that accepts change easily and he's probably the same. So imagine how he feels? If he's been alone all of this time and now he's got eight people claiming him as their own and wanting him to sit down front and center with them at Sunday dinner, don't you think that's a little daunting?" Linda smirked as she recalled her own introduction to the Reagan Family. "I still remember my first Sunday dinner and I actually had time to get to know some of you before I had to sit under the spotlight...and it still meant I got bombarded with questions from Erin and Joe. You people can be scary...warm and sweet, but still scary," she joked. "So just give him a little time."

"I know what you're saying, Lin, I do. I just..." Danny trailed off, not daring to voice what he feared the most.

"I know. You want your little brother back. But have some faith, babe. He'll come around."

* * *

Renzulli took a seat on the bench next to Jimmy; he'd spotted him sitting across the street from the precinct after tour. His partner had been more focused on the job, seemingly pushing the turmoil of his personal life deep into the back of his mind until he was ready to deal with it again, which seemed to be as soon as he clocked off off the job. Renzulli glanced down at the phone in Jimmy's hand recognizing the Buffalo area code for the contact entry on the screen and knew the inner battle raging on in his head. "You know that doesn't work unless you hit 'call', but then, you gotta hold it up to your ear, like so," he said while mimicking using a phone, "and speak into it when the person on the other end answers."

"Funny, sarge," Jimmy replied, although not actually finding him the least bit humorous, but he appreciated his attempts to get him through this.

"Everytime we go on break or clock out, you're looking at that thing like you're willing it to solve all of your problems," Renzulli commented.

"It probably could if I could manage to make the damn call," Jimmy replied.

"To your mom?" Renzulli guessed.

"Sherry," Jimmy corrected having stripped her of that title once he accepted the fact that he wasn't truly hers...never was.

"Yeah, her," Renzulli said.

"I can't get myself to do it," he said, his voice dripping with self-recrimination.

"No one's making you, Jimmy."

"But I have to, don't I?" Jimmy asked as he turned to look at his partner.

"You don't have to do anything," Renzulli assured him. He had already told him as much and he would keep telling him the same thing until it finally sank in. The ball was in his court and there was no wrong or right.

"And live the rest of my life not knowing? Wondering what part she had in all of it? And what do I tell her when she calls me eventually?" Jimmy worried, because he knew she would, especially when the monthly checks stopped coming in the mail.

"Depends on what you decide the right thing for you to do is."

"She lied to me, sarge. My whole life, she's lied to me about who I was...who she was...I had a family," Jimmy said as he stared at the cops coming and going from the precinct.

"You _have_ a family," Renzulli reminded him. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but Jimmy also needed to open himself up little and be willing to let people in instead of always keeping them at arms length.

"Some of whom I'll never know," he commented sadly.

Renzulli couldn't say anything to make that any better. "Have you reached out to them?" he wondered. From what Jimmy had said, it seemed that the Reagans were letting him take control of the situation.

"Can't do that either...feel like the biggest damn coward," Jimmy sighed.

"Hey! You are no coward and I don't want to hear that coming our of your mouth again, you hear me?! What you are is trying to figure this all out, Jimmy. The strongest, bravest guy in the world would be knocked on their ass with this kind of news."

"I appreciate you saying that, but I'm having trouble believing it."

"Listen, no one's pushing you to make any moves right now, but you'll figure out what you need to do when the time is right."

"I think I already do," Jimmy whispered to himself.

* * *

 _Finally, I got Linda into the story! :)_

 _And yes, Jimmy does know what he needs to do and we'll see exactly what that is in the next chapter._


	18. Chapter 18

_Sorry for the later than usual post..._

Chapter 18

Frank walked through the house shutting off lights and checking the doors before he went up to bed. It was much earlier than he would normally turn in, but despite the blessing that was finally bestowed on all of them with his youngest son's return, he had remained in a perpetual funk ever since he left Jimmy's apartment a week ago. He thought he could be happy just knowing his son was alive and well, but now he wasn't so sure. He wanted it all - to have Jamie back, to get to know him and develop the kind of relationship he had with his other kids. But with each passing day, he grew more afraid that he wouldn't get what he wanted.

Frank sighed; he was dog tired and hoped sleep would come to him tonight. He was just about to hit the switch for the living room lights when a soft knock came from the front door. Frank glanced through the peephole, his jaw dropping at who was on his front stoop, but he did not hesitate to open the door. "Jimmy," he said with an expression of both shock and hope.

Jimmy's eyes widened almost comically when the commissioner opened the door dressed in his pajamas and robe. _Crap_...all of a sudden he realized he hadn't thought this through as he went back to seeing the man before him as his boss and not his newly discovered biological father, especially when the concept of having a father was so foreign to him. But he'd spent the last week forcing the drama that was his life out of his mind while on duty to stewing in his apartment when off the clock, riding a roller coaster of emotions ranging from sadness and self-pity to anger and spite. He knew who the last two should be directed at, he was starting to feel it in his gut just as much as the entire Reagan family did even with just the circumstantial evidence they had on Sherry Riordan. But there was a part of him that was still unwilling to believe and maybe a part of him that was too cowardly to confront the woman who could tear him to shreds with her sharp tongue. Jimmy was going crazy as his mind ran in endless circles and it was what drove him here tonight. He'd had a momentary surge of courage to seek some answers that would hopefully help him find some kind of peace. And now he was here, on the commissioner's doorstep, shuffling from one foot to the other as he reconsidered this whole idea. Frank Reagan looked on expectantly and Jimmy knew that there was no way he could offer some lame excuse for his sudden appearance. "I'm sorry...I know it's late, but if I didn't come now, I might have lost my nerve," he explained nervously.

"Don't worry about the time, come in. Are you alright?"

Jimmy bit his lip thoughtfully before responding. "People keep asking me that question...well, not a lot of people, just you...and the sarge," he revealed while searching the commissioner's face for signs of disapproval. He assumed that Frank Reagan and his family kept their private affairs to themselves and maybe that was one thing they held in common - this was one situation neither they nor he would be ready to share with the world. But unlike them, he didn't have three generations of family members to confide in. "I told him. I needed someone to talk to outside of all this...he was the only one I trusted with this."

"Of course," Frank nodded. It pained him to know that Jimmy had no one else to count on other than his sergeant and he feared that a lot of what his son experienced while growing up with the Riordan woman would be far from the happy childhood he would have had under his roof.

"He said he wouldn't say anything," Jimmy added, recalling Renzulli's promise to keep his lips sealed so long as he promised to call his TO if he needed anything to help figure out this mess.

Frank shivered as a cool breeze slipped through the edge of his robe, reminding him that the Jimmy was still standing outside. "I know he won't, but that's not my concern right now. Come in," he instructed and softly closed the door behind his son, mindful that his father had gone up to bed before him. "What's on your mind, Jimmy?" Frank inquired as he led them into the living room and gestured for him to have a seat. It was hard to believe that it had only been a week since Jimmy had first been here having the rug pulled out from under him before he'd fled from the house.

"Sounds weird to hear you call me that now," Jimmy said with a pained smile as he took a seat on the edge of the couch while Frank settled in across from him. "But I don't think I'd respond to Jameson either."

Frank smiled tightly and nodded in understanding. "What we call you is up to you, son," he assured him.

 _That sounds even weirder now,_ he thought before saying, "I don't even know." That was another aspect of this situation that he wasn't ready to deal with. "I wanted to apologize for getting mad last week and saying what I did -"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Jimmy," Frank interrupted. "We understand what a shock it was," he assured him.

Jimmy swallowed thickly and nodded his thanks for that. "I also came here because...I want some answers too...but I don't know if I can...go to her I mean...talk to her about this," he stumbled as he struggled to get his thoughts out.

"I told you already that it was up to you," Frank reiterated. "No one is going to make you do anything that you don't want to do." If there was one thing Frank had learned from raising three strong-willed children, it was that forcing them to reluctantly do what you wanted only led to pushing them away. He didn't know if Jimmy carried the Reagan stubborn-Irish gene the rest of them inherited, but the same tactic might be best in alleviating his stress and earning his trust.

Jimmy felt like he was throwing caution to the wind by being here and that scared the hell out of him. He'd learned from a very young age that it was better to keep things to yourself, draw as little attention as possible and provide as few details as necessary about your private life. Follow those rules and you avoided having others meddle in your business which meant he could spare himself from his mother's fury every time she suspected that someone would come sniffing around their lives. It was a paranoia he never understood growing up but that was making more sense to him now. "I want to know where I come from."

Frank kept his breathing even, feeling like yet another wish may be granted. "Anything you want to know, you just ask."

Jimmy nodded. "I wanted to ask you about her," he said softly while staring down at where he anxiously picked on the tip of his finger.

"Your mother," Frank guessed.

Jimmy looked up, meeting the warm expression on Frank's face. "What was she like?" he asked. His relationship with Sherry had always been cold and strained with her making demands while showing no affection or real interest in her 'son'. It was her way or the highway and with no where else to go, Jimmy followed orders and kept his head down. It was what he knew. That wasn't the case in the rest of the world and he knew that, especially when he'd catch glimpses of his friends interacting with their own parents, but it was his norm. As an adult, Jimmy thought he'd found a solution by moving across state...by basically running away. Yet she still had a stranglehold on him that he knew he had to overcome, something that would only happen if he faced her head on once and for all now that he knew he wasn't hers to torment. And he owed it to himself to find out the truth about what had happened that day back in August of 1988...he thought maybe getting to know his real mother first might give him the strength to do that.

Frank stood and walked to the table near the window that held an array of family photos, both recent and old, and plucked an eight by ten frame from the center of the table. He stared at it for a quiet moment and smiled, recalling the exact moment he snapped the photograph. Frank swallowed his emotions and turned to Jimmy, offering him the photograph.

Jimmy gave Frank a questioning look before accepting the frame, his face softening as his eyes landed on the gentle smile of the woman cuddling a sleeping baby to her chest. She was sitting in a rocking chair next to the very same bay window of this living room as the morning sun illuminated the auburn highlights of her wavy hair and the baby's own wispy golden locks. Her eyes were closed as she indulged in what appeared to be a quiet moment with her cheek nestled against the baby's forehead. "That's her?" he asked in a husky voice as he looked to Frank for confirmation.

"That's Mary," Frank nodded, "holding you."

Jamie's head snapped back down to the photo and he focused on the face of the baby...his face was slack-jawed and peaceful as he slumbered soundly atop his mother's chest. His eyes grew misty as he continued to study the pair, finding it difficult to believe that it was him in her arms. "She was beautiful," he commented after several moments.

Frank gave him a watery smile. "I may be biased, but she was the most beautiful woman in the world."

Jimmy traded smiles with him, seeing the love that he still carried for her.

"She was as tough as they came though, smart as a whip...your mother would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it and not think twice about it...but she was no fool either and knew when she was being played...that came in handy with Danny more times than I can count," Frank said fondly.

Mary Reagan seemed to be the polar opposite of Sherry Riordan from the few words Frank had used so far to describe her. Sherry wouldn't hesitate to make herself the victim in most situations, seeking the attention and sympathy of anyone willing to give it and ready to point fingers at others to deflect blame for the failures of her own life. Even the photo in his hands was added proof of their differences. Jimmy had very few photos of himself and Sherry and none of them compared to this one of Mary Reagan holding him as an infant...he found it mesmerizing. "Did she blame herself?" Jimmy wondered. He hoped she hadn't...he wouldn't have wanted her to.

"She did," Frank answered sadly, "but no one else did. It all happened so fast...in the blink of an eye...it could have happened to anyone else who got distracted at the park that day. Mary once told me that her head understood that but that her heart...her heart would always feel responsible for not watching you more carefully. She struggled emotionally for a long time, but learned to work through it, for the sake of the other kids, but you were never far from her thoughts. She prayed everyday that she'd see you again some day, but more than anything, she just hoped that you were alive and well and being taken care of the way she would have."

"I wish I could have known her," Jimmy said.

"So do I, son," Frank replied.

* * *

Henry tightened the belt of his robe as he came down the stairs, surprised to find the house still and quiet. His son had turned into an insomniac in recent weeks and was always up before him and the only perk to that was that there was always a fresh pot of coffee waiting for him in the morning. Henry seemed to have awoken first today and he was grateful for that, hoping that his Frank was getting the rest he needed and deserved.

And he was, just not where Henry expected that he'd be getting it which was why he was surprised to catch sight of Frank sleeping in his preferred armchair in the living room. But nothing would prepare him for who he'd find snoozing on the couch with him when he tiptoed into the living room to question his son. Henry's jaw dropped and his eyes blinked repeatedly to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, because laying there sleeping soundly on their couch under an old Afghan Betty had knitted was their very own Jamie.

Frank shifted in his chair and grimaced slightly when his neck protested at the movement. His eyes opened slowly, confused for a moment about where he was until he saw the same thing that had his father standing in a stunned silence next to him. "Pop?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb Jimmy's sleep.

"Francis, what's he - " Henry began to question before Frank shushed him with a finger to his lips and pointed to the kitchen.

Frank stood with another painful grimace as his back joined his neck protesting his choice of sleeping positions. Several loud pops sounded from his old joints before ushering his father away. Henry's eyes remained focused on Jimmy even after they'd made their way past the couch, the older man turning around and walking sideways into the other room until the closing door finally blocked his view of the living room. "What's he doing here?" he demanded when he finally laid eyes on his son. "When did he get here?"

"Last night after you went to bed and keep your voice down," Frank admonished quietly.

"Is he alright?"

That was the million-dollar question, one that he'd been asking himself every waking moment of the last several decades. Last night had only allowed him a small glimpse into Jimmy's state of mind and it was clear to Frank that he was still struggling with everything but found it promising that he'd come here to seek information on where he came from. "For now," he answered as he went to prepare a much needed pot of coffee.

Henry frowned at the vague answer and didn't hesitate to interrogate his own son. "What the hell does that mean?" he asked in a low voice, not wanting to wake the boy either. Henry busied himself with grabbing the butter dish and a bowl of pancake batter from the refrigerator that he'd prepped the night before. When Henry was worried about his family, he cooked. And with the stress Frank was under, Henry knew he'd been neglecting to eat properly, hence the rich, high-carb comfort foods he had been preparing for every meal Frank had at home. Henry lit the burners under the griddle pan already sitting on the stove and turned to his son.

"It means what it means, pop. He's trying to figure things out," Frank explained as he moved to get the creamer from the refrigerator now that the coffeemaker was gurgling away.

"But he came here...that's a good sign, Francis," Henry remarked with hopeful look.

Frank gave him a small smile. "He did and we talked," he sighed as he tried to figure out how long they'd sat in the living room. Frank had offered more information on the family than Jimmy had shared on his own childhood, but Frank had been eager to answer any questions he had. Eventually, Jimmy had begun to nod off. He had tried objecting when Frank had suggested that he stretch out on the couch, but had been too exhausted to deny him in the end and Jimmy had easily fallen asleep under his mother's soft blanket and Frank's watchful eye. "For hours it seemed, until we fell asleep. He wanted to know about Mary."

Henry smiled back, taking it for the same positive sign that Frank did, and turned to his hot griddle, buttering it as he prepared to the ladle the first batch...he had two others to feed this morning and nothing could make this old man happier.

Several minutes later, the door creaked open and Jimmy shuffled in quietly, having been awoken from a sound sleep by the enticing aromas coming from the kitchen. He had actually considered sneaking out of the house, it would have been so easy too, but he was tired of running and hiding from what mattered. "Morning," he greeted shyly from just inside the doorway, hesitating to step any further into the kitchen without confirmation that he was even wanted around; old habits died hard and he was more used to not being wanted around at home.

"Morning," Frank smiled from where he was fixing some coffee for himself and his father as a third mug waited to be filled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Uh, okay, I guess," he replied nervously while glancing between the two older men. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to sleep so long...I'm gonna go, get our of your way," he said with a nod toward the door.

"Nonsense!" Henry declared. "You're not in the way! And I was just making a big pile of pancakes. You have to eat," he insisted.

Jimmy's stomach grumbled obscenely at the sight and smell of breakfast. "You sure?" he asked with a furrowed brow, still worried that he might be a bother and the two men were too polite to say otherwise.

"Absolutely! Coffee is already brewed. Creamer and sugar is out, so just help yourself, son," Frank said as he handed his father a mug. He wanted Jimmy to feel at home here.

"Thanks," Jimmy nodded, desperate for the caffeine.

Frank took a seat at the table and watched as Jimmy filled a mug with coffee and cream. "Are you off today?"

Jimmy cradled the warm mug between both his hands and took a sip of the rich brew, letting out a sigh of pleasure before stepping over to the table where Frank motioned him to take a seat. "No, I got the midnight tour."

"A rookie's lot," Henry chuckled from the stove.

"I'm already off probation," Jimmy corrected politely, hating the rookie label even though the other man meant it in good fun.

"Still a rookie, kid. You need another year under your belt and then you can go around telling me your war stories," Henry teased lightly.

Frank smiled at Jimmy who couldn't hold back one of his own at the old man's good-natured ribbing. Henry placed two plates in front of his son and grandson stacked with steaming hot cakes and a bottle of maple syrup in between. "Dig in and there's more where that came from," he instructed.

"You better listen to him, he gets mad when people don't eat his food," Frank warned.

Jimmy had no intention of disobeying orders, especially when his stomach rumbled again in anticipation. He usually threw together a breakfast like this from his freezer but could tell these would be far better. Frank watched with amusement as Jimmy drowned his pancakes in syrup and didn't miss the way his father also watched from afar.

"Mmmm, so good," Jimmy praised around a mouthful.

"Good," Henry smiled as he joined them at the table with his own plate.

Together they ate, Henry even forced a second helping on his grandson, all the while they partook in some casual conversation with the two older men doing most of the talking. When they were done, Jimmy was excused himself to head home and get some chores done before grabbing some sleep before work that night.

It was as he was heading out that he finally made a decision. "I want to do it," he said as he slipped into his jacket with Frank and Henry following him to the front door.

"Do what?" Frank asked in confusion.

"Talk to her...to Sherry. I want to know who did it," Jimmy explained.

"Are you sure?...You don't have to," Frank said with raised brows. He didn't want him to do it because he was expected to.

Jimmy nodded. "I'm sure. I need to do it for myself...I'm just not sure how to," he admitted and looked to Frank for guidance.

"We'll figure it out. And we'll be there with you every step of the way," he assured him, feeling like his son was really coming home to him.

Jimmy bit his lip and nodded. It was a relief to have finally come to a decision, but now came the really hard part...facing the person that scared him more than anyone in the world.

* * *

 _There it is...Jimmy's on board with going after his fake momma and might even be warming up to the idea of family. Next, all three siblings get together to hatch a plan to get Sherry to confess, but not before we get a little more perspective from Danny and Erin on the day Jamie disappeared._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Danny knocked on the door to Erin's office as he strolled toward her desk. It was almost seven pm and the DA's office only had a few stragglers left behind in the darkened offices. "Hey."

Erin looked up as she removed her glasses, surprised to find him here already; she hadn't realized it was so late. "Hey, Danny. Where is he? Where's Jimmy?" she worried when no one else followed him in.

Danny shrugged out of his trench coat and loosened his tie while helping himself to one of the guest chairs. "He's coming on his own. The kid's punctual from what I've seen, he'll probably be here soon," he predicted.

Erin's brow wrinkled, nervous about seeing Jimmy again. The last time she and Danny had seen him, things had not gone well at all and he had refused to speak to them ever since. It seemed he'd had a change of heart when it came to their father, thankfully, but they still weren't sure where his mind was at with everything that was going on. "Have you talked to him? How's he doing? Dad said he seemed to be warming up to him and grandpa." Jimmy had accepted a mid-week dinner invitation to the family home which had pleased Henry to no end as it gave him an opportunity to cook for his grandson once more. Frank had reported that he was still a little gunshy but had seemed to enjoy the evening as the older Reagan men steered the conversation toward the job, Henry taking delight in sharing his old cop stories to a captive audience of at least one.

"I didn't really talk to him all that much, just enough to set this up," Danny advised with a heavy heart. The kid hadn't been very chatty but had been open to meeting them to get a plan in place for the operation to get Sherry Riordan locked up. "He still sounded a little resentful if you ask me, but I guess we can't blame him even if he believes us now and is willing to do this."

Erin let her hands fall to her desk. "I still can't believe this. I can't believe he's back, Danny."

"Yeah, me too. Pop said he really wanted to know about mom. She's the only one he's asked about so far," Danny said as a concern crossed his mind.

"He told me the same thing."

"Does it worry you that he didn't ask about the rest of us?" he asked.

"I don't know," Erin shrugged. "A little, I guess. But part of me is hoping he's thinking there's more time to get to know us," she shared.

"Let's hope you're right."

"He never got to know mom and Joe the way he should have...the way he deserved to. He'll only know them through us if he even comes to us," Erin said as her eyes became glassy and her chin began to tremble.

Danny frowned and sat forward in his chair; he couldn't deal with her crying, especially not when they were talking about their mother and Joe. "Ah, no! Don't start with the waterworks here! Not with the kid showing up any second! You'll send him running for the hills!" he exclaimed while fearing her tears would help the emotions he'd shoved back into a deep, dark hole find the light of day.

Erin snatched a tissue out of the box she kept on a corner of her desk, angry at herself for getting all weepy, especially while at the office. "I know, I know! But I can't help it," she claimed. "Every time I think about Mom and Joe never knowing him and vice versa, the tears just start falling." Erin pressed her lips together as she dabbed at her eyes while she drew the strength to confess something without tearing up again. "And then I start thinking about mom on that day...do you remember?"

Danny slouched in the chair while his face became pinched. "Remember? I still have nightmares about it," he admitted. He could still hear his mother's terrified screams as she cried out for Jamie. "It's the only time I've ever seen her like that...so frantic and scared...helpless," he said in a small voice Erin seldom heard come out of his mouth. "It's not the way any kid should ever see their parents. Remember when dad got there?" He was only ten years old at the time and he could see how hard his old man had struggled to keep it together while trying to get his sobbing wife and three kids to calm down while he sought to take control of the search for his son.

"Yeah," Erin nodded. Unfortunately, she and Danny were old enough to take in every detail of that horrible event, everything except for who had been responsible for it. "Every part of that day is like a movie in my mind, everything but...," Erin stopped to swallow her emotions as the trip to the park played out in her head. "I can still remember how hot it was outside but we were going stir-crazy at home so none of us cared. And I can still hear the sounds from the playground...the chains on the swing sets squeaking...the kids screaming and playing."

"I still say I had Joe beat on the swings," Danny remarked as he recalled taunting his little brother that he'd never go as high as him after his mother forced him to play with Joe for at least a little while to appease the little boy.

"Ten year old verses a six year old? You really want to brag about that?" she asked with a smirk. "And don't forget Joe ended up flying off his swing," she added without thinking, which had her grimacing apologetically.

"Of course not. I'll never forget that as long as I live." Danny knew she hadn't meant anything by it and waived his hand in the air to let her know there were no hard feelings, despite the guilt he had harbored for a long time, just like Joe, with all of the 'what if's'...what if he hadn't been daring Joe to go so high on the swings?...what if he'd never fallen off and their mom hadn't been forced to turn away from Jamie?

Erin nodded her thanks, still feeling badly for her slip up, and continued, "Carry Milligan and I had climbed to the top of the monkey bars to get away from you two and a few of the other boys. We had a direct view of the swings and mom and Jamie farther out under the shade of the tree. The last time I saw them together she was putting him down in the stroller after she'd gotten him to sleep...he was such a good baby," she said with a fond smile. She loved her mother and it had been something special to see her with her baby boy. Erin often found herself trying to emulate her when she helped care for Jamie; she pretended he was her baby too. "We can remember so much about that day but..."

"But we don't remember ever seeing Sherry Riordan at the park," Danny finished the statement for her. "I kept hoping that after seeing her photo that first time you showed it to me that something would click and I'd be able to place her there, you know?"

"I hoped for the same thing," Erin said.

"You really think we'd even be able to remember something like that after all this time - seeing her at the park?" Danny wondered.

"Who knows...but a defense attorney would love that especially if the only thing we got is the word of a couple of witnesses who were 10 and 8 at the time. We were more interested in enjoying the last few days of summer vacation than worrying about stranger danger." Erin gave Danny a look of worry. "I'm not sure I want him to do this."

"Neither do I, but without him we got nothing. And I'm sure he'd tell us that he's an adult, an NYPD officer and doesn't need anyone else making decisions for him."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Erin smirked while her thoughts jumped back to her mother as she envisioned her brushing back the soft locks of hair off of her sleeping baby's brow. "She was never the same after. I mean, she'd try for the rest of us. Sometimes if she was distracted enough, you saw glimpses of our old mom..."

"But she usually had a sadness to her. I remember, sis."

"Do you think he'll ever be a regular at Sunday dinner?" she asked, wishing someone would just tell her they would all be okay one day.

"I don't know," Danny shrugged, needing to get off this rollercoaster for the time being and think like a cop with a take-down to plan, "but let's try to refocus here. We gotta get the kid through this operation first and get this woman locked up, then we can start worrying about knocking some sense into him and really making him a part of the family."

And with his usual punctuality and seemingly impeccable timing, Jimmy appeared at the door. "Hey," he greeted to catch their attentions. They were clearly in the middle of some heavy topic of discussion and he could take one wild guess from the guilty looks on their faces that it centered around him.

"Hey, Jimmy," Danny responded as he turned in his chair to find the younger man standing in the doorway. "Come on in."

Both Erin and Danny stood from their chairs, but while Danny remained in front of the desk to wait for Jimmy to join them, Erin quickly came around and took an unsuspecting Jimmy into a hug just as he took a few tentative steps into the room, throwing her arms around his neck just as any sister would do to a brother she had not seen in 25 years as she sniffled softly.

Jimmy's eyes widened in surprise and his arms remained at his sides for a moment before they reached up to awkwardly pat her back. He looked to Danny for help who just stood by and smirked before rolling his eyes.

"Oh, jeez. Ease up, Erin! The kid's turning blue from the lack of oxygen," he said to lighten the mood and get her to release Jimmy who looked like he really was going to run for the hills.

"I'm sorry," Erin apologised as she took a step back. She had been dying to hold him and couldn't stop herself. She had to get one in just in case she didn't have another opportunity to do it. "I just..."

"It's alright," Jimmy interrupted. He preferred not to get into too much tonight aside from the main reason they were all here. He still didn't know how to handle having a brother and sister, especially these two, and could only deal with so much at one time. And to think of how he'd reacted the first time he saw Erin Reagan...Ugh! "Can we just get on with this?" he asked, hoping that they could be patient with him for now.

"Yeah. Have a seat," Danny instructed and motioned to the other guest chair while Erin went back behind the desk.

Jimmy took off his jacket and clutched it on his lap while Erin sorted some papers on her desk.

"Alright, so we wanted to go through the plan for this operation," Danny began.

"Operation?" Jimmy questioned, finding it disturbing to hear it called that when it was so personal to him.

"Yeah," Danny said, both he and Erin catching Jimmy's unease. "So it look's like we only got a few days to get everything sorted out before we make the trip to Buffalo."

Jimmy stiffened suddenly. "Wait, what? A few days? How the hell are things ready to go so fast? I thought arrangements had to be made with the Buffalo PD?" he questioned. The NYPD couldn't just waltz into Buffalo without the local department's knowledge and run this sting and he assumed that he'd have more time to get mentally ready for this. It was a little over a week ago that he'd stood in the Reagan Family home and agreed to do this, yet somehow they'd managed to throw together a joint operation with the Buffalo Police Department in that short span of time? What happened to good old fashioned government beauracracy?

"You should learn not to question our efficiency when we have the commissioner of one of the largest and oldest police forces in all of the United States overseeing this sting," Danny said.

"Not to mention that he was able to reach out to his counter-part in Buffalo who just so happens to be an old friend and colleague to request a small number of his best men to assist us with this," Erin added. Frank Reagan had undoubtedly pulled some strings to get this done fast, probably before Jimmy lost his nerve.

Jimmy felt the room grow warmer as this was becoming more of a reality...pretty soon he'd be wired up to head into the lion's den to try and get Sherry Riordan to incriminate herself on his kidnapping. "So what's the plan?" he asked as his stomach turned.

"First, you gotta reach out to Sherry, set up a time to go out and see her," Erin advised while going down a checklist of items they would need to review carefully.

"That's not necessary," Jimmy countered.

"What do you mean that's not necessary?" Danny asked, worried that the kid was going to bail on them already.

"Mo-," Jimmy caught himself and clenched his jaw as that old habit had been hard to break, "Sherry will be home. She's always home unless she needs to leave the house for smokes or tv dinners. She became more of a hermit the older she got." The woman became more bitter and anti-social over the years, something that pushed him to finally move away from Buffalo and put a little distance between them.

"You sure?" Danny asked with a hint of doubt which earned him pointed look in return. "Alright, alright. I'll take your word on that," he said, letting himself trust that the kid knew this woman's habits better than anyone else.

"Plus she'll just get suspicious if I call to announce a trip home," he added.

"How come?" Erin asked with curiosity.

"Cause I don't make trips home," Jimmy stated simply and left it at that, letting them interpret it any way they wanted.

Danny and Erin glanced at each other, recognizing that as a touchy subject...but hell, all of this was a touchy subject. "Well, then, we'll just head to Buffalo once the commissioner gets the green light from their department. You'll get wired up and go in to talk to her while we listen outside," Danny continued which had Jimmy frowning immediately. "What's wrong?"

"What am I supposed to say to get her to talk? I mean she...she's a tough nut to crack," Jimmy said, and that was putting it mildly.

"We can still give it a try and if it doesn't work, we'll find another way to figure this out," Erin encouraged, seeing the doubt build in his eyes.

"You need to go in there all panicked -" Danny began to say.

"That won't be a problem," Jimmy sighed.

"Go in there and you start telling her how your information got flagged by the department...you were asked to produce your original documents to clear up the discrepancy and they got made as fakes and you got suspended pending an investigation," Danny summarised quickly before they would go back through the script more thoroughly.

"Tell her the department is investigating you for fraud, that you can lose your job or even get arrested and you just need to know what's going on, she's your mother and you want her help to understand why this is happening," Erin added.

Jimmy shook his head as he considered the plan, leaving the other two to wonder if he had a different idea.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" Danny asked.

"I'm willing to try, it just...that's not gonna be enough to make her care, to make her want to confess anything," he advised. And to be quite honest, he didn't think that there was anything that would.

"You don't know that," Danny said.

"You don't know _her,_ " Jimmy replied.

"But you do. And I'm willing to bet that when you start talking, she'll start panicking. You'll see the cracks and when you do, that's when you'll find a way to break her."

* * *

 _So poor Jimmy is understandably stressing over having to go into the lions den, but is somehow gathering the courage to do it. Extra long chapter tomorrow as he tries to get Sherry to confess while Danny and Frank wait nearby._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jimmy could feel sweat dotting his hairline as he stood still in the back of the police decoy truck and wondered if the tech taping the small microphone to his sternum could feel his heart pounding through his chest. He was doing his damnedest to appear calm but from the concerned looks he was getting from Frank and Danny Reagan, he was failing miserably...that or these two men who had been strangers to him up until just a few months ago already knew how to read him like an open book. At least he could be thankful that only a small number of officers from both the NYPD and the Buffalo force were involved because Jimmy had no desire for anyone to catch wind of this and turn this into a three ring circus. He assumed a story like this, especially one involving the NYPD Police Commissioner, would make headlines for weeks, maybe even months, if it were followed to its resolution and he had no desire to have his face or name plastered across the television and newspapers.

"Alright, that should do it. We'll hear everything that's said in that room," the tech advised with a glance at his colleague who gave him the thumbs up as he listened to their voices coming through the headphones he was wearing.

Jimmy lowered his t-shirt and was buttoning his over-shirt while wondering if he could just bail on this whole operation and jump on a bus back to New York City. He would gladly endure the seven hour ride in lieu of the shorter commuter flight with two disappointed Reagans if he were to pull the plug on this.

"Keep your jacket on and don't worry about having to stay real close to her the whole time you're in there, we can hear everything so long as you stay in the same room," the tech finished advising before going off to his workstation.

Jimmy nodded silently as he adjusted his jacket and glanced down at himself to make sure the wire wasn't noticeable.

Danny and Frank traded a few more not-so-sublte glances now that the three were left relatively alone. Jimmy wasn't anywhere near as loud and boisterous as his older brother, but he'd been near mute all morning and was clearly overwhelmed. Frank, more than anyone else, was beginning to doubt sending his son in by himself. This wasn't your average undercover to gather intel on a perp he had no personal ties to, he was going in to try and get the woman that raised him to incriminate herself on his own kidnapping...close and personal didn't begin to adequately describe this situation. He knew she was responsible and wanted her thrown in jail, but thinking strictly as a father concerned for the welfare of his son, Frank wanted to run Jimmy back to the city and spare him what would undoubtedly be another painful experience. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly and out of earshot of the other officers in the truck forgetting about the microphone already in place.

Jimmy considered lying. It would be so much easier, but in the end, the truth spilled out of his mouth. "I don't know if I can do this," he admitted, afraid that he might disappoint them. A lot of arrangements had been made to put this together and he didn't want to fail them or himself, but his stomach was tied up in knots and he could feel his hands beginning to shake.

Danny couldn't fault the kid for feeling the way he did, but he would be the first one to put an end to this if he thought he couldn't handle it. Jimmy was stronger than he gave himself credit for and needed to do this for himself above all else. "Yes you can, Jimmy. You can do this. We've been through this a million times and we'll go through it one more time, alright? Now what are you going to tell her about why you're there?"

Jimmy took a deep breath and went back through the plan. "My social security number got flagged...department's investigating me because they think I've been using someone else's identity."

"Good," Danny said with an encouraging nod as Frank sat by and observed, his heart warming at seeing his boys interacting with Danny falling into the role of the supportive big brother in light of what Jimmy was getting ready to walk into. "What else?"

"Uh...I've only ever used what I thought was my information and I ask her if she knows what's going on," Jimmy recited, "and why it's happening."

"That's great, kid, and just remember to keep her talking. Whatever lame excuse she gives you, tell her it makes no sense and keep pushing her," Danny advised.

"Until she snaps? That won't be hard," Jimmy mumbled under his breath. It never took much to set the woman off.

"We're going to be right outside with a couple other units nearby. As soon as she incriminates herself, that's it, we'll come in and take her away. You won't have to deal with her anymore," Danny promised with an encouraging pat to his brother's shoulder. He and his father were the only other members of the NYPD in the truck. Jackie and Frank's detail had also joined them for the trip but were riding with the Buffalo detectives and uniforms assigned to arrest Sherry Riordan if and when she admitted to her crime. Jackie and Danny would be the ones to oversee the arrangements for her transport back to New York City once the extradition paperwork came through, although Danny would be kept away from the woman...Lord knew what he would do to her if given the chance.

"Not until she goes to trial. She's not going to go away quietly, I can promise you that," Jimmy argued, fearing the circus she could turn this into if she really wanted to screw him over. He knew this wouldn't be that last he would see of Sherry Riordan even if she ended up getting hauled off in cuffs today.

"We will all cross that bridge together once we get to it," Frank said with a pointed look, making sure that Jimmy knew he wouldn't be alone in any of this, not anymore.

"You ready?" Danny asked, sensing that they needed to get this going before Jimmy psyched himself out.

"Yeah. I just want to get this over with," Jimmy replied.

"Alright. Hop on out and we'll get ourselves parked across the street while you walk over."

"We'll see you in a bit, son," Frank said and squeezed his shoulder as he headed for the rear doors of the truck.

Jimmy nodded and stepped out the back, feeling Frank's eyes on him until the door closed. He zipped up his jacket to just below the placement of the mike and glanced around Sherry's new neighborhood, although this area wasn't completely unfamiliar to him. They'd lived in a small apartment two blocks in the other direction when he was in middle school, right before his best friend Brandon had moved away. Growing up, Sherry had a habit of moving them around every few years it seemed, usually because she screwed the landlord over on rent, but it wouldn't surprise him if it was to keep people who got too curious about them from learning her secret.

Jimmy shoved his hands in his pockets and walked the few blocks to the small duplex Sherry now rented, going right past the large Erie County Water Authority truck parked two doors down from the house. His heart beat a little faster with each step that took him closer to his destination and he wished he could fast forward to tomorrow and have this day be done and over with.

 _Stop being a coward and just do it,_ he berated himself repeatedly until suddenly there he was, right on her front stoop. He stopped to take a deep breath and knocked. _Here we go,_ Jimmy thought while he waited, glancing over at the truck where Frank and Danny were thinking the same thing as they watched the exterior of the house on a small screen, anticipating their first live glimpse of Sherry Riordan.

Jimmy was just about to knock a second time when the door swung open and he was staring into the cold gray-blue eyes that often had the ability to cut him down with one intense glare. "Well, well, well...look at what got dumped on my doorstep. What the hell are you doing here?" Sherry greeted in an irreverent tone that spoke volumes as to how she felt about her alleged son.

 _Frank's face remained expressionless despite the cold reception; it wouldn't be how he would greet any child of his._

Jimmy's stomach dropped at the familiar tone. It had been a year since he'd been back in Buffalo, returning only once since he left for the academy out of some blind sense of duty during Thanksgiving weekend last year after his sergeant had interrogated him about his plans for the holiday. He knew Renzulli only wanted to make sure that he had someplace to go after the parade tour they were working and to avoid his pity or an obligatory invitation to Renzulli's house for dinner, he made up a story about heading back to Buffalo for a late holiday gathering. Once the lie was out of his mouth, he had the bright idea to go through with it, hoping that a surprise visit from the son she hadn't laid eyes on in over a year would ignite a warmer response from his mother...it must have been all of that talk from his TO about family and moms and making efforts to keep them close even when separated by distance. But he had received a welcome similar to this - exactly what he was used to getting his whole life - and as a result, Jimmy had spent less time at home than it took him to get to Buffalo. She hadn't changed - never would - but he had a different reason for being here this time. "Hi," he greeted and waited for her to welcome him in, which she didn't. "I need to talk to you."

Sherry Riordan raised a brow at her son for several long seconds while pushing a few graying strands of mousey-brown hair from her face as she took a puff from her cigarette and blew it back out in his direction. Jimmy closed his eyes, suddenly sickened by the familiar odor, the same one it had taken him months to expel from every meager possession he owned, and he began to fear she wasn't going to let him in. "So you said. I still haven't gotten your check," she complained as she turned around and walked back into the living room where her favorite morning talk show was airing on an old, bulky television set, leaving Jimmy behind in the open doorway to decide if he wanted to go in or not. "Did ya bring it with you?"

Jimmy stepped into the house and closed the door behind him with one last glance across the street. "No, I didn't," he answered and tensed in anticipation of the reaction he was about to receive. He knew she would bring up the missing money right off the bat.

Sherry's face turned red as she spun back toward him. "What the hell do you mean you didn't bring it?! My rent's due again and I'm already behind because you didn't get me the money I needed last month! What the hell's the matter with you?!"

 _Back in the truck, Frank and Danny's jaws clenched at the cold reception and the indignation she directed at the person she claimed as her own. She'd used him as a kid and had continued to do so even after he flew the coop to New York City._

"I got suspended," Jimmy announced in order to explain the missing money and to steer the conversation as planned.

"Ha...you?" Sherry scoffed. "I find that hard to believe! You're a freaking goody two shoes. What the hell did you do, kill somebody?" she laughed, momentarily distracted and amused by whatever trouble he had landed himself in.

"They said my information's no good," he said and watched her carefully for any changes in her demeanor, wondering if she'd even crack at all.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked in confusion.

"My social security number got flagged somehow in HR and when they took a look, they said none of it matches up with the state's records," Jimmy explained.

"That's crazy!" Sherry shot back with a look of surprise.

Jimmy could already see the wheels spinning in her head. "That's what I said and they made me produce my original birth certificate and social security card and..." he trailed off, pretending to be confused about the whole situation.

"And what Jimmy?!" Sherry urged him on, needing to know if he'd really screwed her over this time.

"They said they're fakes, mom. That's when they suspended me and now they're doing a full investigation," he advised and dropped down onto the dingy old couch that probably came with the apartment.

In typical fashion, Sherry reacted before thinking as she clenched her fists, never having a stronger desire to smack the kid upside the head than she did right now, an urge she'd managed to quell out of fear of leaving behind visible marks and drawing unwanted attention. She'd been so damn careful and now he'd probably gone and screwed everything up! "Jesus, Jimmy! Didn't I tell you that nothing good would come from becoming a damn cop? And joining _that_ stupid department was the biggest mistake of them all! But you never listen, do you?! And why the hell did you give them anything?!" she shouted while flapping her arms around angrily.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I, mom _?"_ Jimmy asked innocently. "I gave them what you gave me when I needed them for school. I just don't understand why they're saying their fakes."

Sherry cursed her outburst as Jimmy looked back at her in bewilderment. She needed to remain calm...whatever they were looking in to was the kid's problem now, not hers. He was a grown man...there was no reason they'd need to come sniffing around his mother. "They're crazy to say that!" Sherry proclaimed as she pretended to be just as outraged.

"They're the NYPD! They can sniff out a fake document in a snap. What the hell's going on, _mom_?" he begged, the last word loaded with contempt which Sherry misinterpreted as confusion.

Sherry straightened up and Jimmy recognized the expression that fell across her face...standing before him was the Sherry Riordan that was about to use an act perfected over the years - feigning innocence and ignorance whenever people came asking questions about him and their life together. She played the role of the poor single mother in desperate need of a break as she struggled to raise a rambunctious little boy on her own and was cursed with a life of misfortune that she could never do anything to improve no matter how hard she 'tried'. But what Sherry forgot was that he'd seen the act countless times whenever CPS came around or she had to plead her case for welfare and dragged him along for show or when someone began to demand a long overdue debt. "Why are you asking me?" she replied, pretending to be insulted that he would dare to ask her that question.

"Because you were the one that gave them to me," Jimmy responded. "They were the same ones I saw you use a million times...every time you had to register me in a new school!"

"Then I was given fakes when you were born," Sherry reasoned tersely as she sat down in her favorite old recliner and stared aimlessly into the television set, trying to figure out a way to distance herself from all of this...from Jimmy too.

"Come on, mom," Jimmy sighed in exasperation, making sure she knew he didn't believe a word she said.

That had her head spinning towards him as the fire returned to her eyes. "Come on what, Jimmy?! What are you trying to say, huh?!"

"Nothing," Jimmy said with a shake of his head, "but the chances that both the Social Security Administration and the New York State Department of Health sent you fake documents sounds crazy. And it's impossible!" he argued before sharing another rehearsed line. "What's worse is that they said my birth is not even registered with the state!"

"I don't like where this is going," Sherry snarled.

"I don't even know where this is going, mom," Jimmy said with an air of defeat. "I just want to know what's going on because you're the only person on this planet that I know that could have any idea as to why this is happening. Please, just help me figure it out!"

Sherry kept quiet and shook her head in disappointment as she crossed her arms defensively, but he could see her underlying worry.

Jimmy knew she was a tough nut to crack, but now that he was here, now that he knew the truth, he was determined to get her to talk, feeling more empowered as she grew more nervous. It ignited an anger in him she had never seen - the meek, frightened little boy she had always been able to control, but that had begun to slip away as he got older. "I'm gonna get fired, mom! And then I'll probably get arrested! Do you even care?" he said accusingly.

Sherry was shocked to find herself on the receiving end of his ire and did what she did best - turned it around on him. "How dare you! You ungrateful little bastard! I've done nothing but put my life on hold for you!"

A humorless laugh erupted from Jimmy's mouth. "Yeah," he nodded, "that's what you've told me my whole life...Why the hell did you even keep me if all I did was cause you so many problems?" he asked, wondering about the real answer to that question. Her ploy to use him to railroad her rich ex-boyfriend failed and she knew he suspected who that baby she presented to him was. His face had been plastered all over the news and yet she'd kept him...she hadn't even left the state. Why didn't she dump him somewhere and take off? Why had she kept him all of those years if she didn't want him?

"What the hell was I supposed to do with you?!" she spat in his face while thinking of the limited options she had after her failed attempt to trick Todd into leaving his wife...a situation that she had no clue he was aware of.

"We probably both would have been better off if you would have just left me somewhere," Jimmy commented in defeat. Anything would have been better than this.

But that in no way cracked that tough, impenetrable exterior as Sherry fired back with the childish taunts that always made her feel better about herself, so long as it crushed another's spirits. "Boohoo! You gonna start crying now about what an awful mother I was?! You're just like every other whiney man out there blaming your shortcomings on your mother!" she accused.

"Don't do that," Jimmy said with an iciness Sherry had never heard as his anger began to slowly build again.

"Do what?" she hissed.

"Don't turn this around on me!" he ordered while jumping to his feet. "Every single time that something comes up that you don't want to deal with, you deflect and it always comes back to land on me! Everything was always my fault!" he seethed, surprising even himself as a hidden wave of resentment broke free.

"How dare you! Everything _is_ your fault! You are good for nothing and have probably screwed EVERYTHING up! Always have!...and after all I went through to get you...so stupid, Jimmy!"

"Get?" Jimmy asked with a look that Sherry once again mistook for confusion because of her slip of the tongue. But Jimmy was actually surprised that he managed to get her to mess up so soon and kept prodding for more. He could feel the adrenalin coursing through him now that he was getting somewhere. "Don't you mean _have_? And I thought you said I was a mistake and that my dad never wanted me?...Isn't that what you always said? So why would you say that?" The hurt in his voice was real, because that was a barb she threw out constantly when she wanted to inflict pain.

 _That couldn't have been further from the truth, Frank lamented as he leaned against the counter with his hand pressed against his mouth, once more envisioning the life his boy had with this woman._

Sherry let out a string of curses at the choices she'd made in her life while her shell began to crack and she lost control of the words that tumbled out of her mouth. "I was a damn fool thinking he would leave his wife if I showed up with a kid," Sherry grumbled to herself, but it was clear enough for Jimmy and everyone in the truck to hear.

"I always thought you were lying," Jimmy said softly. It was what he always hoped when she threw that dagger at him, that his father was out there wondering about him too. And he had been, along with the rest of his real family. Jimmy swallowed his emotions and continued to draw her out. "But he really didn't, did he?" he added, referring to whomever she was talking about.

"He wasn't your damn father and I'm not your damn mother so whatever problems you have, don't you dare bring them to me!" Sherry sneered as her eyes grew wet, wanting nothing more than to just cut her ties with the damn kid. As much as she had tormented him, he always sought her approval and attention. She should have let him go and said good riddance when he was done with school and headed to the city, but instead she chose to keep her claws in him, using her title of mom to make him send her money as if he owed her anything...he didn't yet he couldn't deny her, could he? Maybe she was the one that screwed up. She couldn't let go of him back then, after Todd had sent her on her way with a pocket full of cash, and she couldn't let go of him now, because if she did, she would be all alone and she feared that more than the fact that he would always be a constant reminder of a life full of mistakes and rejection.

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked, stunned to see actual tears in her eyes.

Sherry sniffled and straightened up in her seat as she tried putting her old tough exterior back in place. "Just what I said. I'm. Not. Your. Mother," she spat with disdain so heavy, her declaration still caught Jimmy off guard. "And whatever trouble you got with the cops, you need to deal with it on your own and don't come back here!"

"I don't...I don't understand."

 _Everyone in the truck heard the tremor in his voice, but Frank and Danny were the only ones that didn't doubt the emotion Jimmy felt at hearing this directly from Sherry Riordan, that it was as real and painful as it had been when he'd heard it from them. "Come on, kid, you're almost there," Danny whispered._

"You are not my kid. Never were," she admitted and blinked away her tears, feeling the words roll off her tongue more easily the second time around like some dirty little secret that had been begging to come out.

Jimmy's eyes widened further and he remained quiet for several moments before he found his voice again. _"_ Then who...?"

Sherry looked away and Jimmy saw something in her face that he'd never seen before: guilt.

"What did you do?" he whispered.

Sherry took her own time responding as her mind traveled back to that hot summer day in Brooklyn so long ago. She thought about just shutting her mouth and sending him on his way, but her subconscious was begging to let everything out. _It was almost three decades ago and she hadn't hurt him, what could he possibly do to her at this point?_ she reasoned. "She had four."

"Four?" Jimmy asked, not understanding her at first.

 _"He did it," Danny whispered as they waited for Sherry to continue. Jimmy had managed to get her to crack._

Sherry scratched at a stain on her pants as she began to speak, underestimating Jimmy and that he'd have the courage to see to it that she was punished for what she was about to reveal. "The woman in the park...she had four kids with her, all running around and screaming, calling her mom...all except for the one in the carriage...that one was all quiet and so small."

 _Oh, God,_ Jimmy thought, _it's happening._

"It wasn't right...I watched her for a long time while she rocked that baby to sleep...then she put him in the stroller...she had four of them and from the ring on her finger, a husband at home too...must have lived in Bay Ridge...out at the park with her kids in the middle of the day instead of working...it wasn't fair."

 _Frank held his breath while he was also transported back to that same day, sickened to know how his family had been watched and his baby boy chosen as if he was someone his family could spare with three other children to raise._

"What did you do?" Jimmy repeated as tears flooded his vision, no longer concerned with the operation, but needing to hear everything she did directly from her.

"One of the little brats face-planted in the sand box while she sat under a tree with the baby...he was a bloody mess and I could see her wanting to go to the crying kid but the baby was a asleep in the stroller...didn't want to leave him all alone, but she went anyway...she never should have turned her back...," she paused as her mind went back to that day, "it took two seconds...I don't even remember making the decision to do it, I just went right past the stroller and carried you off in my arms. It was my chance to have the same life. You didn't even wake up...you just stayed asleep against my shoulder like you belonged to me," Sherry said, not daring to look him in the face. "I was already crossing the street by the time she started screaming, but no one questions a young woman with a baby in that neighborhood. I looked like a hundred other people walking the streets...I was so sure it would work, that Todd would take care of me but he left me in the lurch just like everyone else."

"What's my real name?" Jimmy continued as his first tear fell, wondering how far he could get her to go.

Sherry's jaw clenched repeatedly while she debated whether to answer. It was such old news...and she had been right. The woman in the park did have a husband...she could still see the tall, handsome police detective with the thick, dark mustache holding his weepy wife who clutched an eight by ten studio photograph of her baby boy to her chest, on display for all of the cameras as they begged for the safe return of their precious little boy. Even while she watched them on TV as she bottle fed their surprisingly affable baby in her arms, she felt more jealousy than pity. "Jamie," she confessed, leaving out his real surname so he could figure out the rest on his own once he was far away from her.

Unfortunately for Sherry, she was about to receive the shock of her life as every last word was recorded in the truck parked across the street.

 _Danny looked at his father, shouting an order into his mike as soon as he saw his old man nod. "That's it, we got her! Everybody move!"_

* * *

 _Sherry's going down!_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Danny hopped out of the truck and met up with Jackie and the other detectives as they pulled up in front of the Riordan duplex. They didn't need a large team to bring the woman in, just four detectives including himself and Jackie, but they also had two uniforms watching the back of the house in case Sherry Riordan was a runner; that was unlikely from what Jimmy had told them but you could never be too sure. There were a few other RMPs standing by in case of any trouble, but Danny didn't anticipate much except for a whole lot of useless jabbering from the woman as he fully expected her to plead her innocence the moment they announced the charge.

Frank's detail followed behind their boss as he too made his way to the house, but at a much slower pace. He wanted to get a good look at Sherry Riordan before tending to his son.

Danny nodded at Detective Gale who'd been tasked by his own commissioner to oversee the sting and make sure the NYPD had every resource available to them to ensure a proper operation. Commissioner Reagan was calling the shots, but the local LEOs would make the arrest in their own jurisdiction. Gale acknowledged the order and led the others to the house.

Back inside, as Frank and Danny left the confines of the surveillance truck, Sherry and Jimmy stared at each other with wide, teary eyes until Sherry angrily wiped at hers. She was done with this, with him, and needed to be left alone now. "There. You know the truth now. Get out," she ordered, hating that she had allowed herself to get emotional in front of him.

But Jimmy didn't move, instead he uttered her greatest crime. "You took everything from me," he said in a tiny voice that still couldn't comprehend how anyone was capable of this.

Each word from his lips infuriated her more and she reacted in a way that she had forbid herself from acting with him. Before she knew it, Sherry whipped her hand across Jimmy's face as hard as she could. The sharp crack of skin striking skin echoed in the room drowning out the cheery fast food jingle coming from the television.

Jimmy was stunned...he never saw it coming until his head was flung to the right and a fierce flash of pain exploded across his cheek which then turned disturbingly numb, never feeling the warm, thin trickle of blood that slowly began to spill from the corner of his mouth.

The palm of Sherry's hand matched Jimmy's cheek, both irritated and bright red. Sherry stared at Jimmy with wide eyes, waiting for him to react, maybe even fight back, because in the back of her mind she knew she probably deserved it. But all she saw were the sad, disappointed eyes of the one and only person who had ever truly craved her love and attention. Had she been allowed a few more moments, she might have realized that what she was starting to feel was actual remorse, but a forceful knock at the door gave her reason to walk away and allow herself a chance to regroup.

Sherry steadied her breathing as she opened the door, narrowing her eyes at the small group of suits waiting on her doorstep, but frowned when she spotted the police cars parked along the street behind them.

"Sherry Riordan?" the first detective asked.

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped suspiciously as she peeked behind her to make sure Jimmy hadn't moved into their line of sight.

"Detectives Gale and Renner, Buffalo PD," he announced with a flash of his badge. "We need you to step outside, ma'am."

"What's this about?" she demanded while pulling her arm out of the detective's grasp when he attempted to guide her out.

Detective Gale was quicker the second time around, taking hold of her bicep and he pulled her outside and swiftly turned her around to face the exterior wall of the house.

"Get your paws off me! You have no right to touch me! What the hell's this about?!"

"You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Jameson Reagan," Gale advised as his partner patted her down and fitted the cuffs securely around her wrists.

Sherry stilled as cold, prickly shock washed across her body. "What?! How?!" she stammered in confusion until her eyes went wide with understanding and she sought Jimmy out through the open doorway. "What the hell did you do?! You set me up?!"

"Hey, settle down!" Danny ordered from behind. He was having second thoughts about not being the one to escort this woman back to New York City; he had a lot to get off his chest about the pain she'd caused everyone in his family.

"I didn't do anything!" Sherry lied. "You got nothing!"

"We heard everything," Jackie fired back, "just in case you're not catching on to what's going on here." Then she turned to the Buffalo detectives and said, "Get her out of here!"

"No! Wait! You can't do this!" a struggling Sherry yelled as Gale and Renner turned her around and forced her toward their unmarked car. They had just hit the sidewalk when the ranting woman came to a sudden halt and looked up into the stoney face of the New York City Police Commissioner, a face she knew well especially with that unforgettable mustache, but even the eyes were the same...they still carried the same pain she'd seen in them 25 years ago. "Jesus," she rasped as she began to consider that she would not be able to talk her way out of this mess.

Frank stared her down but didn't utter a word. He was riding on too many emotions and the last thing he wanted was to give her any valid reason to cry foul. But his appearance had done enough as Sherry Riordan shut her mouth and willingly proceeded to the police car all the while staring back at the man she never thought she'd see in person.

Frank turned toward the house, his eyes failing to locate Jimmy amongst the few individuals milling about after Riordan was led away. He did spot Danny and his partner at the front door, both looking inside but making no attempt to enter. Jackie excused herself as the commissioner approached, Frank taking her place beside Danny and finally took in the sight of his youngest in the small living room of the house.

A part of Danny wanted to go to Jimmy, assure him that it was over and that he could get on with his life now, but the words sounded hollow even to him and would do nothing to lift the spirits of his forlorn younger brother. He was probably better off letting his father handle this, Frank confirming as much after a few seconds.

"Give me a few minutes with him," he requested before taking a few cautious steps into the duplex. Frank's jaw clenched at the angry hand print on Jimmy's face.

Jimmy paid him no attention, his mind lost in thought as he gingerly brought the back of his hand up to wipe at the corner of his mouth with his tongue following suit to gently probe at the broken skin.

"Are you alright?" Frank asked softly while reaching into his suit jacket for his handkerchief.

Jimmy nodded automatically but refused to meet his father's eyes, he couldn't stand to see his pity. "Am I done? Can I take this off?" he asked and proceeded to reach under his shirt and tear the microphone from his chest without waiting for an answer. Jimmy then pulled at the belt Velcroed to his waist, throwing the wire and transmitter onto the warped coffee table.

"Yes," Frank answered needlessly as he watched his son jump to his feet, his breaths coming in short bursts as he searched the room. "Jimmy?"

"I need to get out of here...I gotta get some air," he mumbled breathlessly when suddenly he focused on the rear door and headed in that direction.

"Jimmy?" Frank called out again and was surprised by the outburst he received in response.

"That's not my name! Don't call me that!" he shouted over his shoulder hating the sound of it, of anything having to do with her.

Frank glanced back at Danny who had been watching while standing guard at the door, then headed after his youngest. If the boy wanted to get away, he chose the wrong way out.

Jimmy paced the compact backyard, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he spun around in one of the dusty bald spots of the patchy, unkempt lawn. There was no where to go but down the side of the house where everyone else was still gathered. His only other option was to start hopping some fences...Jimmy was almost tempted to do that. "I can't right now," he warned as Frank's shadow loomed nearby.

"Can't what?" Frank inquired.

"Talk!" Jimmy answered when he came to a stop and met Frank's concerned stare. "That's what you want, right? You want to know if I'm alright?" Jimmy waited but Frank still said nothing, so he answered his own question. "Well, I'm not," he confessed and dropped down onto a stack of cinder blocks near the back fence and leaned his elbows against his knees. "This is effed up," he growled.

"I know it is," Frank agreed as he leaned down to overturn an old, empty paint bucket and took a seat right next to Jimmy.

"She didn't even want me...did you hear that?" Jimmy whispered.

"I did," Frank sighed, pursing his lips as Riordan's admission replayed in his mind. "She would have been the only one to feel that way."

Jimmy knew he meant well, but that only made him sadder...it was just more proof of everything she'd stolen from them. "Why the hell didn't she just take me back?...or leave me on the side of the road somewhere?" he wondered. "Anything would have been better than growing up with her...I tried so hard to make her want me. I thought if I was good, got good grades...stayed out of trouble, I could make her proud...that she might care. But none of it mattered. It never would because I wasn't hers," he reasoned. "Why didn't I see it?"

Frank wanted to take Danny's example and spare him the empty, useless words, but despite his claim that he didn't want to talk Jimmy needed answers to help him understand this, Frank just didn't have any. "Son, I don't know if we'll ever get the answers to the hundreds of questions we have to make any sense of this...I wish we did and that I could get them for you, but Sherry Riordan is not well...never was and I'm sorry that fate had her crossing our paths. All I can tell you is that we're here for you, whatever you need, you've got me, pop, a brother and sisters who want nothing more than to get to know you and offer you the love and support you should have gotten over the last 25 years. You also got a niece and two nephews, who are all pretty fantastic by the way, that would love to have you as their uncle."

Jimmy was both comforted and frightened by the thought of suddenly having such a large family, but there were still two members missing to truly complete them. "I'll never get to know mom...or Joe," Jimmy said sadly. "It's not fair."

Frank pursed his lips and looked off into the distance...he couldn't agree with him more. "I know it isn't. I've felt that way many times."

"I don't want to see her again. I'm done with her...I don't care what happens to her."

"I'll do everything I can to make sure you're left alone," Frank swore. What happened to Sherry Riordan was up to the DA and the courts, but he would see to it that he would be left out of it.

Jimmy looked up to his father, his eyes pleading for answers. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Frank inhaled deeply wishing he could make everything better with a few choice words. "Right now, you let me take you home."

* * *

The sun had set by the time the commissioner's SUV rolled up in front of Jimmy's apartment building. Frank had checked in with Danny back at the Riordan home before leaving with Jimmy. He would be staying back in Buffalo to oversee the search of the property in the hopes that they'd locate more evidence for the DA's case. Erin had been working with the Brooklyn DA to get the proper paperwork filed so that Riordan was transferred to New York City. Jimmy and Frank had caught a late afternoon commuter flight out to New York during which Frank had unsuccessfully worked to convince his son to come back home with him. He hated the idea of leaving him alone tonight.

Frank looked out through the window at the rundown building Jimmy called home. "You sure you don't want to go back to Bay Ridge with me? I'm sure pop is cooking up one of his usual high-carb, high-fat comfort meals," he said, trying to entice him with a promise of a home-cooked meal.

Jimmy smiled at his father's persistence, but declined. "No...thanks. I think I just need to be here. I have a lot of things to figure out."

"What are you thinking?" Frank asked, hoping for a response that could alleviate the worry that had begun to build again.

Jimmy looked down and sighed. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know. After this, I just need to get my head on straight," he said

Frank looked out the window and prayed that he wouldn't lose Jamie a second time. He'd give him a little space after today's events, but he didn't plan to sit and wait for him to make the next move.

Jimmy could see that it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he didn't know of any other way to do this. "I'm not even sure what people are supposed to call me," he commented.

Frank turned back with a small smile. "I know of one good name."

Jimmy grinned and nodded. "I guess it wouldn't be such a stretch as far as first names go, but I'm guessing if I want to stay with the department, the Reagan name will be a game changer," he said, pausing to wonder about how that would work. "I'm just not sure if it's good or bad."

"Yeah, that it would and I won't lie, it has it's drawbacks," Frank admitted. "If you want to talk about it, you know how to reach me."

"Yeah."

"You know we're here if you need us. You don't have to go through this alone," Frank reminded him.

"I know...it's just not something I'm used to. I usually just figured everything out on my own."

"Change can be a good thing, son," Frank said.

Jimmy gave him a tight smile. He appreciated the sentiment but he wasn't so sure of that. "I'll see you."

"Alright," Frank said and watched as Jimmy stepped out of the SUV and grabbed his overnight bag before closing the door and disappearing into his building.

"Let's go," Frank ordered, ready to head home and throwback a glass of scotch. He had to be patient now and trust that his son would be able to decide what was best for him. But that didn't mean he couldn't try to give him a nudge in the right direction.

* * *

 _So Sherry wasn't expecting any of that, huh? Especially the commanding presence of a particular mustached individual. No worries though, Frank will have a chance to unload on her eventually._

 _Short chapter tomorrow, but it will help set up the rest of the story as 'Jimmy/Jamie' makes some big life decisions._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

A few days later, Jimmy got into work early and poked his head into his sergeant's office before heading back to the locker room to change into his uniform. He hadn't spoken to the man since before he left for Buffalo with the commissioner and knew he would want to know how everything went. It was better to get it out of the way now than to do it in the car during their swing tour. "Hey, Sarge."

Renzulli's head snapped up, pulling his reading glasses off when he saw his partner at the door. "Jimmy! Hey, it's good to a have you back, kid. Have a seat," he greeted while pointing to an empty seat, eager to get a report on the Buffalo trip.

"Thanks," Jimmy replied and closed the door behind him for privacy. He didn't need anyone else finding out about his family situation as he still had unrealistic hopes that this mess wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. Jimmy dropped his duffle bag next to the chair and sat down with a tired sigh.

Renzulli looked on expectantly at his partner, waiting for him to start talking, but Jimmy just sat there staring back at him. "So?" he prodded.

"It's done," Jimmy stated sadly.

"She copped to it?" Renzulli asked with wide eyes. From the concerns Jimmy had shared about the operation and the Riordan woman, Renzulli hadn't been sure how it would all go down.

"Yeah. She's probably on her way to the city if she isn't here already...I don't know. I'll be glad if I never have to see her again." Jimmy could still feel the sharp sting of both her words and the slap she landed across his face. "It's all on tape if you want to hear it," he said while doing a lousy job of pretending it wasn't painful.

Renzulli grimaced sympathetically. His partner was terrible at hiding his true feelings. "No, kid, that's nothing I'd ever want to hear. I know you didn't either...I'm real sorry."

"What can you do, right?" Jimmy shrugged and cleared his throat when he felt his emotions rising to the surface.

"About what happened in the past? Nothing," Renzulli said. "But now that you know the truth and you got this amazing family out there ready to welcome you home with open arms," he paused to look Jimmy's in eyes, "what are _you_ gonna do?" Renzulli knew he'd been shying away from most of the Reagan clan, all except for the commissioner. It seemed that the two had made some sort of connection, which wasn't surprising to him. Jimmy definitely craved a family and a strong father figure like Frank Reagan couldn't be more of a blessing at this point in his life. If he just opened himself up to the rest of the family, he would never be alone in this world again.

"I'm kind of scared to answer that question," Jimmy admitted.

"Why?"

"Because...I don't know them, sarge. And what? Now I start calling them dad and grandpa and sis like it's normal? It's just bizarre." Jimmy never had trouble talking to people. Sure he could be a little shy in the beginning, but suddenly having all of these people in his life - and their wanting to be a part of his - had his stomach tying up in knots. And he knew the real reason for that: what if he didn't meet their expectations? He'd been raised so differently than the rest of them.

"You're not scared to answer the question, you're just scared because it's never been your normal," Renzulli pointed out. "Two months ago you only had an absentee mother and a pretty amazing training officer to consider as family. Now? You still got that pretty amazing training officer in your corner, but you also got one of the most respectable families in all of New York to call your own too."

Jimmy turned away from his TO, not knowing how to respond.

 _Damn kid needs to realize he's no_ _shlub_ _either_ , Renzulli griped to himself knowing that he was already selling himself short on what he'd add to the family. "You've met up with the commissioner a couple times since you found out, right?"

"Yeah."

"He the one that initiated the meetings?"

Yes."

"Anybody else?"

"Well, his father, Henry, but only because he was around at the house when we met up and he cooked for us," Jimmy reasoned.

"Already feeding you, huh?" Renzulli snorted; the kid was already in and he didn't even know it. "And who else?"

"I saw Danny and Erin to get ready for Buffalo and Danny also went out there too, but I haven't really talked to them since it all first went down."

"Why?"

"Cause I got pissed at them for investigating me like some perp," Jimmy said. His anger at them had begun to dissipate and he even regretted blaming them for everything that they dug up, but Jimmy still wished that they all would have told him from the get go about their suspicions. Would he have thought they were crazy? Hell, yes! But at least they wouldn't have been sneaking around behind his back.

"Not like a perp, like a long lost brother they were desperate to find," Renzulli corrected. "I get it, Jimmy. It sucked to have strangers looking into your background, but look at what they found! I know it was a bitter pill to swallow, just don't forget about the bright side to all of this."

"Yeah? What's that?" Jimmy asked. So far all of the negatives weren't allowing him to see the positives very clearly.

"You got a family you'll want to talk about now. I only knew your so-called mother's name from looking at your file, not because you rode in a car with me almost everyday for a year and a half and actually talked about her. You know more about Marie than she would ever want you to know because I can't keep my trap shut about her."

"Like the fact that she feeds you too many eggs?" Jimmy smirked, thinking of just one of Renzulli's many common gripes about his wife. He sighed, understanding what the sarge was saying.

"Aye, I got them coming out of my ears!...scrambled, over easy, poached, Florentine...she's run out of ways to cook them! She made me eat quiche the other day for dinner! And she wonders why my cholesterol is through the roof!" he complained before giving his boot the same stern warning he felt obligated to give any time he said anything about his wife. "And you better never repeat anything I've told you about her! One word and I'm permanently transferring you to transit and I don't care who your father is either!"

"Got it! What's said in the RMP, stays in the RMP," Jimmy swore as he held up his right hand.

"Good...but I digress. Talking about family?...What's important in our lives? It's what people do, they talk about their loved ones. And you got a whole bunch to talk about now if you'd get to know them. So just give it a try. You got me?"

Jimmy's phone beeped signaling a text and he reached into his pocket while nodding in understanding. "I got it," Jimmy said. And he really did, he just didn't think it would be easy for him...or at least he didn't think it would be until he read the message on his phone.

"Who's that?" Renzulli asked curiously as a thoughtful expression crossed Jimmy's face.

"What?"

Renzulli jutted his chin out at the phone in his hand. "You got a new girl? It's about time," he joked with a sneaking suspicion as to who the text was really from.

"Nah...it's from the commissioner," Jimmy advised while he re-read the message: _American Veterans Memorial Pier, tomorrow 5pm._

"You mean your father," Renzulli corrected.

That was still strange to hear. "Yeah," Jimmy confirmed.

* * *

 _Up next, some father/son bonding as Frank continues to build their relationship._


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Jimmy hurried down the length of the pier, recognizing the dark silhouette of his father against the late afternoon sun where he stood against the railing overlooking the bay. He was still surprised that he'd asked him to meet him out here but he couldn't complain about the scenery, not with the Statute of Liberty and the New York City skyline off to his right. Jimmy looked toward the plethora of world famous landmarks as he passed a lone fisherman and sighed...God, he loved this city; it had always called to him for reasons he never understood until now. Jimmy inhaled the cool salty air, zipping up his jacket just as the cool wind slipped through the opening, but his pace slowed as he took in the sight of the casually-dressed police commissioner bringing his arm back to cast his line out into choppy bay. He wasn't expecting that either and Jimmy had a hard time containing the smirk that spread across his face as he came up behind his father. "Hey!"

Frank turned his head and smiled. He hadn't heard from Jimmy since dropping him off at home after the trip to Buffalo. He had warmed up to him and his grandfather, but the few encounters they'd had since that night he showed up unannounced on his doorstep had only taken place after Frank reached out to him. And until he got used to the idea of having a big family and was comfortable coming to them, Frank knew he would have to take the initiative in order to keep building a relationship with his son. "Hey! I was starting to think I was getting stood up," he mused.

"Sorry, train was stalled," Jimmy said with a quick glance at the small cooler and tackle box sitting next to Frank's feet before stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

"That's okay. You're here now, so grab a rod," he instructed while he remained focused on his line.

Jimmy's forehead crinkled in amusement when Frank turned back toward the water to reel in slowly. "Really?"

"Yes," Frank smirked. "Why else do you think I asked you to meet me out here?"

"For the view?" Jimmy assumed. "Some fresh air, maybe?"

Frank chuckled at the uncertainty on his son's face. "Haven't you ever gone fishing before?"

"No," Jimmy shrugged. "Sherry wasn't into the outdoors...or anything really."

Frank nodded; he should of known better than to ask that question. He brushed aside the sadness that his comment brought him; that was sure to happen a lot more often as Jimmy revealed little tidbits about his childhood. Nothing he'd learned so far seemed to indicate that he'd had many positive experiences growing up. "Well, there's no better time to learn than the present," he replied. "Come on now, already got the hook on the line for you. Think you can handle baiting it?"

"We talking live worms here?" Jimmy asked as he joined Frank next to the railing and inspected the rod he had waiting for him, not sure of what else people used as bait.

"Big fat ones," Frank touted and gave Jimmy his signature grin as he reached down into the cooler and produced a large styrofoam cup full of squirming bloodworms.

Jimmy leaned in towards his father to take a peek into the cup and offered him a raised brow while he tried, but failed to hide another a smile. "That's nothing," he claimed as he reached into the cup without any hesitation and took hold of the first fat, wiggly worm he found and held it in his palm to examine his pick. "I used to dig for bigger ones when I was a kid."

"Oh yeah?" Frank said, hoping to draw more out of him.

"Yeah. I was usually digging around in the dirt any chance I got...had to find ways to entertain myself when I was old enough to start running off on my own," Jimmy said as he picked up the hook with his other hand, not realizing that Frank already knew how old he was when he started wandering off. "Just stab the poor thing on there?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you gotta do it three times, in an 's' pattern," Frank advised as he watched Jimmy bait the hook, "that's it...make sure you got him on there good, you don't want to give the fish a free meal."

"Like that?" Jimmy said as he held it up for inspection.

"That's good," Frank said as he finished reeling in his line.

"Now what? Just fling it into the water?" Jimmy asked.

"There's no 'flinging' in fishing, you cast," Frank corrected.

 _Puh-TEY-to, po-TAH-to,_ Jimmy thought with a roll of his eyes, much to Frank's amusement. "Okay, so what do I do?"

"First, you gotta get a comfortable grip on the rod like so," Frank said, as he began to demonstrate with his own. "The stem of the reel should feel natural in your hand," he pointed out.

Jimmy wasn't sure how a seven foot fishing pole was supposed to feel natural, his duty weapon was more comfortable to hold, but he was captivated by his father's enthusiasm and his desire to teach him something he clearly enjoyed. He felt his throat tighten for a second...this was what most father's and sons did, wasn't it? Jimmy cleared his throat and refocused on Frank, readjusting his grip on the rod so that it mirrored his father's until it was comfortable in his grip.

Frank waited until Jimmy nodded before continuing the lesson . "Now, this right here is the bail," he said and spun the roller until the line was up against the rod, "and we're going to turn it until it's near your finger so you can hook the line like this."

Jimmy chewed on his lip as he glanced between Frank and his own rod, paying close attention to everything he said and did.

"And we open the bail, continuing to hold the line - don't let go yet. Now, just focus on a target out there in the water and with a quick whipping motion just like this, you let the line go," Frank said and cast his rod, watching as the line sailed out over the water and disappeared under the surface with a soft, distant splash. "The weight of the lure and bait will pull line off the reel," Frank said. "Give it a try."

Jimmy took a breath and replayed his father's instructions in his mind, however his motion was no where near as fluid as Frank's, his line only covering half the distance. "Looks a lot easier to see you do it," Jimmy remarked with a grin.

"It takes practice and patience." Frank had no doubt that he'd get the hang of this quickly and looked forward to another day out here.

Jimmy spun the handle back for a few clicks just like Frank had done and waited for his next instruction, but Frank just looked straight ahead while maintaining a firm grip on his rod. "Now what?"

"Now we wait," Frank smiled as he continued to look out over the bay to Staten Island and New Jersey in the distance.

"Wait?"

"Gotta wait for the fish to bite. You'll know when you got one."

They stood there together enjoying nothing but the soothing sound of the lapping water. Jimmy thought there might be something to this fishing thing as his problems felt like they were a million miles away, for a few moments at least. "I've never done this before. It's kind of peaceful out here," he commented.

"It is. Pop started bringing me out here when I was a boy. I brought your brothers and sister out here too."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Erin and Joe could stay out here with me for hours. We did a lot of talking on this pier, solved a lot of crises here...especially during their teenage years," Frank smirked. "And sometimes it was just good for some silent contemplation," he said as countless memories of standing on this very pier flashed across his mind. "Your brother, Danny, on the other hand? Fishing was never his thing. He's got the attention span of a gnat."

Jimmy chickled. "That's not a surprise and I barely know him."

Frank reveled in the sound of his laughter. "Have you given any more thought to what you want to do?" he asked, hoping that this would help solve whatever dilemmas Jimmy was battling privately.

"Yeah, I have...well sort of, I guess," Jimmy said as he stared off into the distance.

"You guess?" Frank asked.

"I want to get to know all of you better," Jimmy revealed as he turned see his father's reaction. He was tired of being alone, that had been how he'd felt all of his life with only Sherry as family, although the alternative made him nervous. "But I gotta be honest, facing all of you together - and there's still four of you I haven't met - that kind of scares the crap out of me."

Frank laughed at Jimmy's candor and couldn't hide his happiness to hear the first part of his statement. "We don't bite, at least not until you're fully integrated into the family - just ask Linda, that's Danny's wife - but it's only out of love," he quipped.

Jimmy smiled at the joke but still wanted to know what he was getting himself into. "So what can I expect?"

"Expect?"

"Yeah, I mean," Jimmy paused to switch the rod into his left hand and turned enough to face Frank. "I bet you know Danny and Erin better than anyone. I got to know Danny a little but he was more in detective mode at the time." He was ready to let go of his resentment; he'd been angry at the wrong people and would never have been the wiser about Sherry's crime if it wasn't for all of the Reagans, but that didn't mean he knew how to approach his siblings and he wanted to be prepared to make this a little less nerve-wracking for himself. "And Erin seems like a great ADA but I don't know anything else about her."

"Well, prepare yourself, because you can expect your sister to mother hen you to death. Erin was Mary's little helper when you came along and thought of you as her own baby. She has two and a half decades worth doting to lay on you all at once."

"That sounds a little scary," Jimmy laughed nervously and hoped his father was only kidding about that.

"With Danny, he's all bark and no bite unless you deserve it. He doesn't know how to show he cares any other way. If there's one thing you can count on, it's for them to be fiercely loyal and have your back in any situation. Joe was like that too. Growing up, the three of them could get into some knock-down, drag-outs that almost brought the house down and drove your mom and me crazy. But if anyone outside of the family came after any of them? Well, you better watch out...and they're doing that for you now with Sherry."

Jimmy was comforted to hear that as he faced forward and followed his line once more to where it dipped into the bay, turning serious as he had another important decision to make. "I told you before not to call me Jimmy...I still feel that way." He looked over to Frank and added, "I meant it, I don't want anything to do with her anymore, including her name, but I guess my other option is Jamie Reagan...I'm just afraid of what kind of circus that's gonna create. I suppose with that there's gonna be a whole lotta looks and whispers. I don't want that kind of attention if I can help it and part of me is hoping that Sherry's trial will happen quietly and then she'll go away."

"Let's hope it does," Frank said, although his gut told him the opposite would be true, but it wouldn't help matters to lie to his son, there'd been enough of those already. "We'll all see what we can do, but it's more likely that someone will find out about this and draw the media's attention. Don't worry about that right now though; let's cross that bridge together when we get to it, okay?"

Jimmy nodded. Even though he hated to hear that, he supposed all of that was out of their control. "What about the department? Being the PC's kid will probably mean a lot more to my job and I'm betting it's not all good."

Frank sighed as he thought about how to lay it all out. "There wouldn't be many advantages. I'm your father, but on the job, I'm strictly your boss. Joe and Danny dealt with this when they came on and I was on the force, but they weren't coming in with the burden you already have to carry with the kidnapping. Regardless of that, if your nameplate says Reagan, a lot of eyes will be on you. You really got the jackpot...you're my once-missing son and your dad's the police commissioner...people will be looking to make you front-page news any chance they get." Frank watched as Jimmy considered his words. "But whatever you choose to do, we'll be behind you."

Jamie stood there quietly for several long second mulling over Frank's words until he decided enough was enough. "Guess I better start getting used to Jamie," he said softly as he took a leap into unfamiliar territory.

Frank smiled softly and sent out another prayer of thanks that his son was finally home.

All of a sudden, Jamie's free hand snapped up to grab the rod when he felt an unexpected tug from the other end of the line. "Whoa!"

"What's wrong?" Frank asked in concern before noticing the tension on the line.

Jamie laughed. "I think I got something!" he announced when the rod bowed down towards the cold waters. "What do I do?!"

"Well reel it in!" Frank laughed in return, having almost given up hope that something would bite. He leaned his own rod against the railing and turned his full attention toward Jamie.

"How?" Jamie growled at the unexpected pull. Whatever was on the other end had to be huge.

"Let the rod and the drag do the work," Frank advised calmly.

"I don't know what that means!"

"Keep the rod at a 45 degree handle," he instructed and gave him a few seconds to make the adjustment, "and be ready to reel when the drag stops moving...you gotta tire him out, Jamie. Work him closer to you...pull the rod tip up and reel it in quickly as you drop it back down...don't give him any slack or he'll throw the hook, just keep bringing him in."

Jamie bit his bottom lip as he concentrated on bringing in his first catch, following each of his father's instructions closely like he had done before. Jamie brought him in, inch by inch, with Frank's help. And as quickly as it started, it was suddenly over as he succeeded in bringing the grayish-blue fish out of the water. "Look at it," Jamie touted proudly, his hazel eyes widened in child-like wonder that he'd actually managed to catch something on his first try.

"Oh, that's a beauty for a first-timer!" Frank proclaimed as he snatched his net and brought Jamie's catch in and over the railing

"Whoa...what kind is it?" he asked.

"Bluefish," Frank declared as he guessed it's weight by bouncing the net up and down a few times. "Feels like a good eighteen pounder. Congratulations, son!" he said while producing some needle nose pliers seemingly out of thin air as he made quick work of removing the hook.

Jamie watched struggling fish curiously. "What do we do with it?"

"We throw it back, but first," Frank said as he took hold of the prized catch and held it out to his youngest. "Here you go."

Jamie's brow wrinkled in surprise as he placed his rod next to Frank's to take hold of his very first catch. "Oh," he gasped at the weight of it. "You sure this is only eighteen pounds?" Jamie questioned as he two tried guessing it's weight.

"Maybe twenty," Frank conceded with a grin and reached into his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Jamie asked as he glanced up from the bluefish.

"Gotta get a picture of your first catch. Now hold it up and smile," he ordered and Jamie complied, giving him a megawatt smile that seemed to come naturally at that moment. "Wait 'til your grandfather sees this," Frank remarked as he studied the picture while thinking that he'd have to get it printed for himself.

"Oh, that's a beauty," said the old fisherman that Jamie had passed on his way down the pier. "I haven't had a bite all afternoon," he said while noticing the phone in the older man's hand. "You fellas want a picture together?"

Frank's brows shot up at the offer. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all!"

Frank handed over the phone and placed an arm around Jamie's shoulders as a surge of emotion went through him. This was the first time he'd held his son in 25 years and he had to struggle to swallow the large lump in his throat. Frank huddled closer to Jamie and smiled for the camera, swearing that they would never be torn apart again.

* * *

 _This was a tough chapter to write...'cause I know nothing about fishing! :) Hopefully those tutorials on YouTube were right, lol!_

 _Had to get a Frank/Jamie fishing scene in here somewhere...something we saw a few times in the first two seasons of the show, but not since, unless I'm forgetting something, which is a real shame. And who's glad we can call the poor guy Jamie from now on? :)_

 _Big, exciting family dinner coming up next that doesn't go as smoothly as one would hope when conflict arises between Jamie and the rest of the Reagans...loyalties will be tested and poor Jamie will be seen in a whole new and not-so-flattering light. Any guesses on what that conflict could be?_


	24. Chapter 24

_Happy 4th!_

Chapter 24

"When's Jimmy getting here?" Danny asked as he glanced at the clock on the stove right before he took a peek at his favorite side dish of creamy scalloped potatoes bubbling away in the oven. That and the entree were the last items to be taken out to an already full dining room table. "My stomach's rumbling."

"Jamie!" Erin corrected. "And when isn't it?" she smirked while she was busy refilling the water pitcher.

"Jamie...Jimmy," Danny mumbled, "you sure he really wants us to call him that, dad? I already got myself used to calling him Jimmy."

"He should be here in just a few minutes," Frank assured them as he returned to the kitchen after serving the wine. "And that's what he said. He doesn't want to have anything to do with that Riordan woman anymore if he can help it."

"Good riddance!" Henry grumped while he arranged his world-famous, honey-balsamic lamb chops onto a serving platter and drizzled some of the left over glaze across the top.

Frank placed the empty bottle in the recycling bin and addressed the rest of the family. "He's just not sure when he'll make it official with the department. Probably not until after she's locked away and he can leave that part behind."

"He still hoping it will go away quietly?" Linda asked and looked around the kitchen to see if there was anything else they needed for this very special family dinner.

"Yes," Frank confirmed, knowing the odds of that actually happening were close to zilch.

"I'll keep saying a few prayers but things like this always have a tendency to get out," Henry commented.

"Yeah, they do. I'm actually surprised it's not out yet," Erin added and made her way to the oven to retrieve her potatoes.

"Commissioner Harmon and I hand picked the limited number of participants in the operation so that it could be carried out quietly," Frank advised.

"And the Brooklyn DA is handling things himself for that very reason as well. He doesn't care for the media circus," Erin said once she placed her dish on the counter and closed the oven door.

"And I'm sure he'd prefer to keep the commissioner in his good graces," Danny piped in with a smirk aimed at his sister.

"Sadly, a story like this is too good for the media to pass up. I mean, can you imagine the headlines?" Linda said.

"Let's not," Frank pleaded. They had enough to deal with at the moment. "There'd be nothing I could or would do if this story got out. That would only make things worse."

"Well, Nicky is excited to meet Jamie. I sat her down and gave her the full story in the hopes that it would deter that teenage brain of hers from asking any sensitive questions," Erin said. Nicky had known about Jamie's disappearance long before her grandfather had ever met James Riordan in the hospital. Although to her, it was only a sad tale to explain the mysterious photograph of the smiling baby in the family home. It was hard for her to understand the magnitude of his loss, unlike that of her doting Uncle Joe who loved and spoiled her rotten every chance he got. Erin turned toward her bother and sister-in-law and asked, "So how did the boys react to the news that they got a new uncle coming to dinner?"

"They were confused at first. We've never brought that up with them because of their age," Linda said. "And let's face it, they're boys and have never thought to question Jamie's baby photos."

"But once we explained everything to them, they only really wanted to know why someone would do that to our family," Danny shared. That had been the hardest part to explain, because how do you tell an 8 and 10 year-old that someone would nab a defenseless little human being to try and trick a man into staying with them? They couldn't and didn't, saying only that there were people in this world that did things for reasons they couldn't understand, which was why they needed to always let their family know how much they loved them everyday.

"We'll be asking ourselves that question for the rest of our lives," Frank sighed.

"Because she was effing out of her mind!" Henry growled.

"Pop!" Frank reprimanded his father for his rather colorful and inappropriate language, but the sentiment he agreed with whole-heartedly.

"Sorry, but it's only something like this that gets me cursing like a sailor. And it's true."

"I know that, pop. It will never make sense. Let's just agree to keep the conversation away from that incident and the Riordan woman in front of the kids. I can fill Jamie in on the case so he's not out of the loop after dessert," Frank proposed.

"That goes without saying, Francis," Henry said.

"Today is just about getting to know each other," Erin said as she glanced around the island where they had all congregated.

"And making him feel comfortable. He was pretty anxious about coming today," Frank shared.

"What's there to worry about? It's just us," Danny wondered.

"Are you kidding?" Linda asked incredulously.

"What?" Danny asked.

"I still remember my first time over here like it was yesterday. Questions coming left and right, the center of attention...it was like being circled by a bunch of sharks!" Linda cried.

Frank and Henry both knew that to be true as they usually sat back to watch the sibling torture - never were any of his kids ones to pass up on an opportunity to make a sibling and/or their significant other squirm. Luckily, this was a very different situation and they were certain everyone would be sensitive to Jamie's feelings, at least on this first go-around with the whole family.

"Oh, come on!" Erin exclaimed. They hadn't been that bad to her or Angie. Jack on the other hand? He had been teased and tormented by Joe and Danny every single time he stepped over the threshold and into this house. But looking back on it now, he definitely deserved it.

"It's true! Jack and Angie will tell you the same thing!" she claimed. "We are all - or were - part of the Significant Other's Club."

"The what?" Danny questioned.

Linda shook her head at his question. "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to be part of any other family, but you people are scary the first time you gotta come here to break bread. And it was worse for Jack than for me and Angie. We were spared from too much pain because we we're ladies."

"We're not that bad," Erin proclaimed.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Linda snorted.

Unbeknownst to all of the adults in the kitchen and to Nicky and Jack who were watching television in the sunroom, their long-awaited family member was making his way down the sidewalk and up the steps to the Reagan Family home.

Jamie found himself once again questioning whether it was a good idea to be here. He had no thoughts to flee like the first time Danny brought him here - or the second time he'd shown up on his own - but he couldn't get rid of the butterflies that fluttered around in his stomach. Jamie's finger hovered up against the doorbell when suddenly the door flew open and he was staring down into the face of a blue-eyed, sandy-haired little boy of about eight. Had Jamie been paying attention as he approached the house, he would have seen the same small, round face pressed up against the window smearing the once clean pane of glass as he took it upon himself to be on the look out for his brand new uncle to arrive.

"You must be my Uncle Jamie," Sean said by way of a greeting.

Jamie's brows arched up and he smiled nervously at the title and name being used to address him. "Uh, yeah. I guess I am," Jamie said as he remembered the names of Danny's boys.

"I'm Sean. My dad was right, you look just like Uncle Joe," Sean commented as his curious eyes inspected the newcomer.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Jamie remarked with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sean," he said and extended his hand which Sean shook vigorously.

"You're right on time, all of the food is almost on the table and we're really hungry. Dad already got kicked out of the kitchen once for trying to steal a lamb chop while pops wasn't looking. But I think he went back in when the potatoes smelled up the house. Those are his favorite too. Come on," he said and took a few steps back, leaving Jamie to enter the foyer.

Jamie scanned the living room, surprised to find it empty, but he could hear some muted voices toward the back of the house. He was almost expecting to have a receiving line waiting for him at the front door and was partly relieved that it was just Sean for now.

"Leave your jacket over there," he instructed with a finger pointed at the the coat rack.

"Alright," Jamie replied wondering where everyone else was.

Sean patiently watched his uncle as he hung his coat up...he seemed really quiet so far which was completely unlike any other member of the family. "Come on," he repeated and led Jamie toward the kitchen.

Jamie smoothed the front of his button-down shirt and took a breath, following the 8 year-old obediently.

"Uncle Jamie's here!" Sean announced and a silence fell over the room as five surprised pairs of eyes landed on Jamie at once and two more sets scurried in from the sunroom. Jamie froze in the doorway as he suddenly became the center of attention.

"Hey, Jamie! You're right on time," Frank said as he went to meet him and placed an arm around his shoulders to gently nudge him further into the kitchen. "We didn't even hear the doorbell."

"I didn't ring it, Sean opened the door before I had a chance," Jamie explained with a nervous smile. Henry and Frank were beaming at having him here with them today. Danny was playing it off more casually while on the inside he was struck with sudden emotion that he would have a brother sitting across from him at the dinner table again. And the two women...well, they looked like they were on the verge of tears and Jamie didn't think that was ever a good thing.

"I hope you're hungry, because we got enough food here to feed an army," Henry said while removing his apron. He was ready to sit down to continue getting to know his youngest grandson.

In a flash, before anyone could do or say anything to spare Jamie from his overly-emotional big sister, Erin was launching herself at him again which had him stumbling back a few steps.

"Oomph," Jamie gasped at the force of her bear hug while reaching back around her in an attempt to steady himself and keep them both from tumbling to the polished kitchen floor. He began to wonder if this was her normal, everyday greeting...if it was, it would take a lot of getting used to for him.

Danny and Henry snickered while Frank pursed his lips to hide his smile while the sight also caused his throat to tighten.

"I'm so happy you're here," Erin whispered into his ear as she squeezed him tighter.

Jamie was still unsure of what to say or do, but he returned the hug as he said, "It's good to see you again, Erin."

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Frank teased.

Danny figured the brotherly thing to do would be to pry his sister off of Jamie. "Enough already! You're gonna suffocate him again!" he chuckled as he urged a sniffling Erin back. "You can thank me later. It's good to have you here, kid."

"Thanks, Danny," Jamie said, a little embarrassed over all of the fuss.

Danny began making the last of the introductions. "Jamie, this is my wife Linda."

"It's really great to meet you, Jamie," Linda smiled. She didn't hesitate to go in for a hug either, but it wasn't smothering like her sister-in-law's.

"You too, Linda."

"You already met the town crier, Sean. And this is my oldest, Jack."

"And this is your niece, Nicky," Erin said as her daughter came up alongside her.

"Hi," Nicky said shyly.

"Hey. It's really great to meet the rest of you."

Henry could tell that Jamie was itching to get out of the spotlight, so he moved things along. "I wasn't kidding, I really made a lot of food today and it's getting cold. Hope you like lamb chops, Jamie," he said and picked up the serving dish with the real main attraction of the meal and led the family into the dining room.

"Oh, uh, I'm sure I will, but I don't think I've ever had them," Jamie replied and came to a stop next to Henry at one end of the table as the rest of the Reagans took what appeared to be their customary seats.

"Well, wait until you taste these babies," Henry touted.

"Jamie, why don't you take a seat right there next to pop," Frank suggested as they all got settled. "Erin, why don't you say grace."

"Gladly," she remarked with a smile at her baby brother before folding her hands and bowing her head. "Bless us O'Lord..."

Jamie looked around the table as the rest of the family did the same. He wasn't used to praying before a meal or ever, if he were completely honest, but had a lot of respect for other people's customs born out of a lack of his own growing up. He wasn't sure of what was wrong and what was right in their home so he just followed suit. Jamie wasn't religious, had never even stepped foot inside of a church. At this point he was pretty sure that God would have struck Sherry down with a bolt of lightning if she had ever gotten near a house of worship, which was probably why she never practiced any religion.

Frank noticed Jamie's uncertainty and wondered if religion would be something else he would open himself up to. It might be another source of strength and support outside of his new family that he could turn to during the many more difficult days that may lay ahead.

"...amen," the group finished together.

Jamie placed his napkin on his lap and looked around the table at the formal placesettings and wine glasses encircling the countless bowls and platters piled high with an array of savory foods. This looked really fancy by his standards and he wondered if they had outdone themselves just for him. "This looks and smells really amazing," he complimented.

"You have first pick, Jamie. Don't be shy, put a couple on your plate," Henry ordered as he offered him the platter of his famous lamb chops.

Danny had gone for his favorite potatoes first and was scooping a generous portion onto his plate as he warned his brother. "Better be careful, Jamie, or grandpa might have you putting on forty pounds before you know it."

"Grandpa, these lamb chops look amazing," Nicky drawled as she had the next pick.

The family loaded their plates quietly, the only sound in the room was that of utensils striking and scraping along ceramic dishes. Jamie accepted every dish handed to him and before he knew it, his plate was full.

"Hmmmm...lamb chops are amazing as always, pop," Frank praised around his first bite, but it wasn't just his father's cooking that was pleasing him, seeing Jamie here with them seemed like some sort of dream that had finally come true.

"Thank you. How do you like them, Jamie?" Henry asked, eager to know his opinion. As far as he could tell, Jamie had thrived on the home-cooked meals he had prepared for him. It saddened him to think about why that would mean so much to his grandson.

Jamie swallowed the large bite he had taken and wiped his mouth. "They're really good, thank you."

"Well there's more where that came from," Henry assured him.

"See," Danny snorted.

Linda looked around the table as everyone ate in silence for several minutes, but she didn't miss the quick glimpses everyone stole of Jamie. It wasn't often that these meals were so quiet as it seemed that no one was sure how to get the ball rolling without making their newest family member uncomfortable. "Jamie, Danny said you went into the academy right out of college. What did you study?" Linda asked.

The eating continued, but all eyes were on him again as the family craved to know more about him. Jamie figured it would begin eventually and that they must of had a million and one questions to ask him. "Yeah, I did. I majored in criminal justice with a minor in psychology."

"Psychology is nothing but a bunch of psycho-babble," Danny mumbled his well-known opinion on head shrinkers.

Jamie's brow furrowed at the comment. "Not really...comes in handy out on patrol, especially with some of the EDPs we see out in the streets," he argued.

"Dealing with those people is always a crapshoot," Frank remarked sadly as encounters with the mentally ill had a tendency to end badly for all parties involved.

"Doesn't have to be, not if you know how to talk to them," Jamie said as he cut into another lamb chop.

"Where did you go to school, Uncle Jamie?" Nicky asked.

"SUNY-Buffalo. I didn't go away after high school. It made more sense at the time to stay close to home," Jamie answered.

"Did you always want to be a cop? Cause it's kind of freaky that you ended up a cop since you come from a family of cops," Nicky asked innocently.

"It's in the blood," Henry smiled.

"Kind of," Jamie began to say as he sat back in his chair, "one of my best friend's dad was a cop." He always thought that his desire to be police officer must of been born from the hours he and Brandon spent listening to his father's stories, but maybe there was something to what Henry said. "I also thought about being a lawyer once," he added as he shared the one other career he considered for about a split second.

Erin dropped her fork onto her plate and turned to face her little brother down on the other end of the table, intrigued by that revelation. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Jamie nodded. "Then I saw what it costs to go to law school and decided I didn't want it that much."

"Smart, kid. Personally, I think you're better off. Who'd be happy being some paper-pushing, over-priced suit anyway?" Danny said with a smirk at his sister.

"He could have been an ADA, I love getting up for work everyday," Erin replied.

"With all due respect, sis, cops are cooler," Danny declared.

"Here, here," Henry agreed while raising his wine glass into the air.

Erin narrowed her eyes at her grandfather before turning to her older brother. "With all due respect, career choices based on a cool factor are for 15 year olds."

Danny took a quick swig from his water glass, which did nothing to hide his mischievous grin. "That why you took a job at the Roxy, because that job commanded such respect?" he pondered as he slid an arm around Linda's shoulders.

"I though you used to work at a rollerskating rink?" Henry asked in confusion.

"It was a roller skating rink," Erin confirmed while pinning her brother with a look.

"Yeah, in the 70's when you were like in grade school," Linda chortled.

Jamie smiled at the exchange, grateful that it was someone else in the hot seat and not him. But what kind of got to him was the easy banter between them.

Erin pressed her lips together, embarrassed at having that little detail of her past rehashed in front of her daughter and little brother. "I did have roller skates on," she conceded.

"Mom!" Nicky guffawed at the idea of her mother as as a rollerskating cocktail waitress.

Jack really didn't want to hear about his Aunt Erin's old waitressing job and was much more curious about his uncle and whether he'd be anything like their Uncle Joe who was pretty cool and was always up for playing with him and Sean. "Uncle Jamie, dad said you joined his basketball team. Are you any good?"

Jamie smiled at his nephew. "I used to play in high school, but you might want to ask your dad that question."

Danny didn't hesitate to answer. "Your Uncle Jamie's got a great jump shot, but he's got to work on his defense. Lucky for him, I can carry the slack for him in that department."

"Really? All those elbows, jabs and intentional fouls? That's your idea of good defense?" Jamie questioned with a raised brow.

A few 'oohs' sounded around the table.

"It works and they're clean," Danny defended his style.

"Sure they are," Jamie snorted.

"Do you play any other sports?" Sean asked.

"Not really. Other than basketball and running, I mainly just follow pro-football," Jamie advised.

"Oh yeah?" Henry chimed in.

"Oh..." Sean said in disappointment.

"What's wrong, honey?" Linda wondered.

Sean stared down his uncle. "You grew up in Buffalo," he stated with some distaste.

"Yeah, I did," Jamie confirmed, confused about where this was going and worried that this might get real personal in a second. Fortunately for him, he was familiar with two ways out of this house already and could make a quick escape if the need arose.

"Don't tell me..." Jack groaned as a hand flew up to brace his forehead.

The adults exchanged questioning looks as they tried following the conversation.

"He's a Bills fan!" Sean accused.

"Yeah. Die hard," Jamie confirmed.

A loud clank of silverware falling onto a plate sounded on Henry's end of the table. "Oh no," he groaned and gave his youngest grandson a look of pity. The poor kid had it rougher growing up than he could have ever imagined! That damn Riordan woman should burn in hell for what she'd done to him!

"What's the matter?" Jamie asked innocently.

"We bleed Jets green and white, kid," Danny advised, wondering about what needed to be done to undo the effects of Stockholm syndrome.

Frank grimaced. There was an unwritten rule in this family about who they all rooted for during football season, but he supposed that there had to be an exception to every rule. But like Danny, he wondered at how they could bring Jamie over to the light side.

"That's a shame," Jamie shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?" Danny grumbled.

"Just is. Been living here for over two years and I still don't get them," Jamie explained.

"What's to get?"

"They're all talk. They haven't been to a Super Bowl in like...ever! There wasn't even a Super Bowl the one and only time they played in a championship."

"At least they won a championship. Your Bills lost four straight!" Danny snipped.

Jamie's eyes narrowed at the jab. "At least they got there," he argued.

"And lost! Face it, the Jets are the best team in the whole damn league! They have history."

Jamie thought about that history and a recent game came to mind. "I don't think they ever had that title and if they did, they lost their claim to it with the _butt_ fumble," he declared, referencing the disastrous play that led to one of the most painful quarters of football in Jets history as the New England Patriots scored 35 points on the Jets in front of a home crowd of 79,000, not to mention an audience of 20 million in a nationally-televised game on Thanksgiving Day.

Silence fell over the room again. It hadn't even been a year since they suffered that terrible beat-down which began with their quarterback losing the football as he collided with his teammate's rear end.

"The butt..." Danny uttered as he stared across the table at his brother, dismayed to have that thrown in his face. "Why is it people always have to bring that up?! Damn that Sanchez!" he whined.

"Alright, everyone back to your respective corners. Let's keep it civil, boys," Frank ordered as he recalled the indigestion suffered that Thanksgiving night after a magnificent meal, all as a result of that horrid game. Frank turned to Jamie and diplomatically said, "I may not approve of your choice in football teams, son, but I can respect it...at least I'll try."

"I'm guessing Jets-Bills games are going to be a lot more entertaining around here," Henry predicted.

* * *

 _I warned you that there would be trouble, didn't I? :)_


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The house was quiet again after Danny, Erin and their families had headed home. They'd lounged around at the table with coffee and dessert much longer than they normally would have as they chewed the fat, sticking to current events and their upcoming work week and steering far away from football alliances after a second warning from Frank. But it had still allowed them some insight into who Jamie was and they all left with a desire to know more...and vice versa.

Jamie wandered around the living room, taking the time to look at all of the family photographs spread throughout the room. They represented four generations...five actually, once Jamie saw the early twentieth century sepia photograph of a police officer in full uniform. Jamie would bet his left arm that it was his great grandfather standing tall and proud on some New York City street. All of the photos had a story to tell and he hoped to one day know each and every one of them. But at this moment, he was focused on one photograph, the one of Joe staring back at him in his own NYPD uniform. Damned if they weren't right about their resemblance...even Jamie could see it.

Frank stepped up alongside Jamie and handed over a glass of scotch, his own eyes landing on the same photo.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, I'd call it a successful day, wouldn't you? You're brother and sister took it relatively easy on you today," he said with a grin, wondering about what Joe would have added to the conversation at dinner.

A burst of laughter erupted from deep within as Jamie gave his father an incredulous look. "You called that easy? Was that before or after Erin joined Danny in ganging up on my Bills?"

Frank smiled and turned back to his chair, letting out a sigh as he sat down. "Well, son, when it comes to passions like those, it's each man for him or herself."

"Thanks a lot," Jamie snorted and took a seat opposite of the older man.

Frank smiled again before it was replaced with a pensive expression. He had some serious matters to discuss with Jamie. He preferred that they be direct with him, but Frank didn't want to end the day on a sour note. "I thought we could talk for a few minutes now that everyone's gone. I hate to dampen what has otherwise been great day, but I want to update you on Sherry and what's happening with her."

Jamie stiffened at the mention of her name, but he nodded, appreciating that his father was keeping him apprised of the case. "Danny's back so I figured she's in the city too."

"Yes, she is. The detectives in Buffalo questioned her after they took her in. As you can imagine, she changed her tune once she was in interrogation," Frank shared.

"Let me guess, she's innocent...didn't have a thing to do with my kidnapping," Jamie said, not surprised in the least. According to Sherry, nothing was ever her fault and Jamie was really tired of it now.

"Yes," Frank nodded while he swirled the liquid in his glass. "Once she was done claiming her innocence, she asked for an attorney."

"Does she not realize what she said to me? That it's on tape?" Jamie felt the need to ask despite knowing how Sherry's mind worked.

Frank pursed his lips and left his questions unanswered. There was no way to understand how she could think people would believe that she was in any way innocent, but it wasn't like she was any different than the countless others who pleaded their innocence when they were anything but. "She'll be arraigned tomorrow and I have no doubt that she'll be remanded and remain in custody. Although I suspect that even if she was given bail, she wouldn't have anyway to post it."

"She has nothing to her name, never did. I was the one helping to support her after the welfare stopped coming in. It was why I couldn't go away for college. She said I couldn't leave her high and dry after she'd taken care of me. Then I left for the city and she still had me feeling like I owed her."

Frank pursed his lips to stop himself from saying anything about the woman that would only increase his ire. He took several breaths and forged on with the reasons for this talk. "Jamie, everything is going to start heating up. I've said it before, this is not something that we'll be able to keep quiet. We'll have to be ready for it when it comes."

"I know," Jamie replied, but he didn't know how to be ready for something like this.

"Erin's keeping an eye on everything from her end and keeping me posted. The DA will want to interview you at some point. You'll have to give a statement to attest to the authenticity and admissibility of the recorded confession. But aside from that..." Frank trailed off as he came to the more delicate issues.

"What?"

"Well, they'll want to know if she'd ever given you any reason to doubt who she was...if you ever suspected," Frank advised.

Jamie's brow furrowed at the notion. "No. If I ever even thought that she wasn't my mom, I wouldn't have sat on something like that. I mean, I always thought there was something wrong with her. Sometimes I just thought that there was something wrong with me...someone tells you you're worthless enough times, you start to believe it. Sherry said I was a mistake, but I didn't realize what she meant. I thought that she wasn't _meant_ to be a mother, not that she wasn't mine."

"I understand," Frank replied before jumping to the next serious issue. "They'll be asking you about some other things too."

Jamie frowned in confusion.

"Right now she's facing a kidnapping charge here. The Buffalo DA is working with the Department of Social Services to see if they can charge her there with fraud for the assistance she sought."

"But that's not all, is it?" Jamie asked, feeling like the worst was yet to come.

"CPS and possibly the Buffalo PD will be catching a lot of flack for not realizing who you were during the instances that she was arrested for possession and then when she was investigated for neglect. With that comes the concern over whether there were other things they missed so they'll be asking questions about things," Frank paused hating to even think about this, "like physical or sexual abuse."

Jamie sat back, clutching his glass a little tighter at the implication. "What does it matter? It's not like they can do anything about that anyway," he remarked, clearly uncomfortable as he averted his eyes away from Frank.

Frank's stomach tightened at his son's body language, afraid of what it could mean. "You'll still be asked about what it was like growing up with her. I want you to be prepared for it, Jamie. I'll do what I can to make sure you're not blind-sided. If you're worried about what we might hear -"

"She never touched me," Jamie interrupted, wanting to dispel that idea quickly. "In _any_ way. Sherry's a bad person, but she didn't do that...she wasn't interested in me in that way. And she was smart enough to know that with CPS sniffing around, she couldn't leave behind any visible evidence. Sherry preferred to keep me in line with verbal abuse rather than anything physical," he revealed.

"That didn't make it any easier, did it? Sometimes words that can leave behind a deeper scar," Frank bemoaned.

Jamie nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie," Frank apologized. The thought that his son or any child could grow up in an environment like that pained him.

"For what? You didn't do anything," Jamie questioned.

"Sometimes that's what hurts the most as a father. I know it did for your mother."

* * *

Baker thumbed through the small stack of files in her lap until she found the one she needed and placed it on top of the commissioner's desk. "We have the finalists' essays for the Commissioner for a Day contest ready for your review," she advised before turning to the remaining appointments for the afternoon. "The chiefs are setting up now in the conference room to begin reviewing security needs for the Thanksgiving Day Parade."

Frank was signing the last of the reports Baker handed him when it hit him that they were nearing the end of the year, and one of the busiest times for the City and the Department. "Hard to believe we're already approaching the holidays. Another year has flown by but Thanksgiving is going to be much more meaningful this year," Frank commented. He looked forward to having Jamie filling a seat at the table. Dinner on Sunday had been better than expected and Frank and the rest of the family planned to make sure this year's Thanksgiving meal was extra special for him since they all suspected Sherry Riordan never bothered to make it so.

"Indeed, sir," Baker smiled, pleased that her boss had an added reason to be thankful this year. "And the mayor will be here at three for the press conference on the joint DEA bust," she finished.

The door to Frank's office opened unexpectedly and Garrett stepped in with a guarded look on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he said.

"And yet you still do," Frank retorted but sensed that he wouldn't like whatever came out of Garret's mouth next.

"We've got a situation, Frank. It's out," he announced as he approached the desk. "Calls and emails just started flooding in wanting confirmation on whether Jamie's been found and reunited with you and the family."

Frank knew this was coming, it wasn't a surprise. But that wouldn't keep him from worrying about the crap show that was going to start, concerned more about how it would affect Jamie more than anyone else. "How?"

"Someone got their hands on the complaint from Riordan's arraignment this week. I ran up here as soon as I got the first call from the Post. Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long," Garrett advised as the smartphone in his hand buzzed and he read the most recent incoming email. "Oh."

Frank frowned when his DCPI looked back up at him with some alarm. "What?"

"They know his name and that he's with the department," Garret answered.

Frank's jaw clenched simultaneously with his fists. "Baker, find out if he's on duty and get me his location," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," Baker complied and headed for her desk.

"How do you want to handle this, Frank? They're going to be all over you during the press conference."

"The press conference is on the joint operation," Frank reminded him as he stood up and headed to the window.

"Come on, Frank. They're like sharks in chummed waters when they get a hold of a story like this. And it's ten times worse because it involves you, you know that. You'll only be able to fend them off for so long. What do you want me to tell them?"

 _Nothing_ , Frank thought to himself. They deserved to deal with this privately but to think they'd be allowed that courtesy was pointless. He'd given up that right completely once he took the position of commissioner...this would be far worse than it had been 25 years ago when Jamie first went missing. "No comment for now. I need to let Jamie know first before he starts getting harassed."

"Sir?" Baker said when she returned.

"Where is he?" Frank inquired.

"He's not on duty today, sir. The desk sergeant said they've already had a few individuals come into the precinct to ask for Officer Riordan. He suspected that they were reporters of some type but they didn't say anything else."

Frank cursed the fact that this didn't happen when Jamie was with the family or on duty and with his training officer. He retrieved his cell phone from his desk and hit a newly-assigned speed dial button. His lips formed a tight line when the call went to voice mail and Frank left a short message asking Jamie to call him before trying another number.

"Hey, pop," Danny greeted.

Frank could tell he was in the car somewhere and prayed it was near Vinegar Hill. "Danny, are you in the city?"

"I'm heading back to the 5-4 from Queens after talking to a witness. Why? What's up?" Danny asked with worry after detecting the strain in his father's voice.

"I need you to head to your brother's place. The story's out and the media is already trying to track him down. He's not on duty and he isn't answering his phone."

"Crap," Danny growled. There was no need for him to ask what his father meant. "I'll take care of it, dad. I'm 30 minutes out," he assured him.

"Call me when you find him and take him back to the house. He'll be safer there."

"You got it."

* * *

 _Trouble's starting but the rest of the Reagans, familiar with unwanted media attention, will guide Jamie through it all and maybe see it as an opportunity to get to know him a little better._


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Jamie was looking forward to a nice long shower as he walked up Bridge Street on his way to his apartment. He'd met up with a bunch of guys to play a game of three on three at the YMCA. They'd played longer and harder than planned, leaving him exhausted but equally content. The past few days, even with Sherry's arraignment, had been quiet and uneventful, something that Jamie was hoping would be more the norm after a stressful few months. As his father had predicted, Sherry was remanded without bail and the Brooklyn DA was preparing to present the case to the grand jury. He was satisfied to get the occasional updates and had no desire for anymore involvement, but he still had no way out of giving a statement to the DA, he just prayed that would be the extent of it, because the thought of having to sit on the witness stand at her trial turned his stomach. That was the only reason he hadn't made a move to change his name, he was hoping for it to quietly go away before reintroducing himself to the Department as Jameson Reagan, drawbacks be damned. He would be ready to leave James Riordan in the past when the right time came, he just didn't know it would be much sooner than he wanted.

When he turned the corner onto Water Street, Jamie was considering calling his grandfather to make plans to go by and see the old man whose warm presence and eager recounting of old family and cop stories was becoming a favorite past time. A few individuals sitting on the narrow steps to his apartment building caught his attention as the locals hardly ever wore sport coats nor did they carry expensive cameras around their necks. Jamie frowned and slowed his pace when they turned in his direction. Their eyes went wide and they jumped to their feet, rushing toward him, causing Jamie's stomach to tighten. He glanced over his shoulder wondering if there was something or someone of interest behind him, but there was nothing.

"Officer James Riordan?!" the first man shouted. "Or is it Jameson Reagan?!"

Jamie came to a sudden stop fifty-feet from his building. "What?" he asked dumbly as the clicks from the photographer's camera came rapid fire and a second individual came running from a parked car across the street to join the first duo.

"When did you discover who you really are? Did you find the Reagans or did they find you? Did you suspect who the Police Commissioner really was when you became a New York City police officer?" the stranger asked.

Jamie remained frozen, his breathing growing shallow like it did the first time he'd been confronted with the ugly truth. He was so stunned, he never heard the roaring engine or the screeching tires from the approaching vehicle. It wasn't until he heard his brother's voice that he snapped out of his stupor.

"Hey!" Danny hollered as he jumped out of his car, leaving it idling in the street with the door open as he rushed toward his brother.

"Danny?" Jamie said in confusion. He didn't understand why his brother or these strangers were suddenly surrounding him.

"Leave him alone! Get in the car, kid!" Danny ordered as he wedged himself between the vultures and his kid brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to escort him to the car while the other reached out to block the photographer's shots. Danny deposited him into the front seat as the reporters continued to yell out their questions.

Once the car was in motion, Jamie turned to see his home and the reporters grow smaller in the distance. "What the hell was that?!" Jamie shouted when he fully returned to his senses.

"It's out, Jamie," Danny advised curtly.

"What?" He knew what he meant, he just didn't get it, or maybe he just didn't want to.

"The media picked up the story. Dad tried getting a hold of you. Why the hell didn't you answer the damn phone?!" he yelled back, annoyed with this whole dame situation.

"Uh...I was at the Y, playing a pick up game with some guys. I haven't check my phone," he explained and reached for the seatbelt when Danny took a particularly sharp turn. "When did this happen?"

"I'm guessing about 2 minutes before dad called me. Jesus...how the hell did they find your home address? I'm guessing they've hit up your precinct by now too," Danny muttered to himself.

"That's it then. Everyone's going to know," Jamie said, resigned to the fact that his life would be a true media-fest for the near future.

"Afraid so. Sorry, kid, but maybe the sooner it's out, the sooner we can be done with it and go back to normal," Danny said as he reached out to squeeze his brother's shoulder.

"Normal?" Jamie questioned.

"Well, as close to anyway," Danny conceded.

Jamie wasn't sure what that would mean now and stared out the car window, his brow furrowing when Danny merged onto the 278. "Where are we going?"

"To dad's. I need to call him, by the way, and let him know I found you."

* * *

Jamie hadn't bothered to change out of his gym clothes after Danny had delivered him to their father's house with strict orders not to leave from both men. And he had to beg his grandfather to stop trying to force food down his throat, but had taken him up instead on his offer of a drink. Jamie was now nursing his second beer as he and Henry sat in the sunroom watching Frank and the Mayor's afternoon press conference re-air on New York One while they waited for him to come home. He and the mayor had stuck to their scripts, shutting down requests for impromptu questions at the beginning and singing their praises of the DEA and NYPD's joint operation to bring down a major New York City drug ring. But they only had so much to say and so many details to offer on the investigation before the Q and A session rolled around.

 _"Commissioner!_

 _"Commissioner!_

 _"Commsioner, can you confirm or deny the reports that you've located your son, Jameson, who disappeared 25 years ago after he was kidnapped from Brooklyn park?" a female voice called out as the camera panned in on Frank._

 _"Yes, my son, Jameson has been located," Frank answered stoicly._

 _"How do you feel about that, commissioner?"_

 _Frank Reagan was known for keeping his emotions in check in the toughest and most sensitive of times, but he couldn't control the scowl that flashed across his face at the ridiculous question posed by the seasoned reporter. "Barbara, are you seriously asking me that question?"_

 _"What can you tell us of the circumstances under which he was found? Is_ _it true that Jameson is the same NYPD Officer James Riordan that was shot in the line of duty two months ago in an armed robbery?" a male voice asked next._

 _"I will not be going into the specifics of how he was located or any of the details of the case itself. The investigation was carried out by the NYPD with the assistance of another state law enforcement agency and it is now in the hands of the Brooklyn DA. I will not comment on an ongoing case."_

 _"How did your missing son come to be working in your very own department?"_

 _"I will not go into that, David," Frank replied._

 _"Do you know the alleged kidnapper, Sherry Riordan?"_

 _"I do not know Ms. Riordan and have nothing more to say on the matter," Frank advised._

 _"Is your son home with you now, commissioner?"_

 _"Out of respect for his privacy, I will not comment on his whereabouts," Frank stated and stood together with the mayor to head out of the press room._

Henry clicked the television off. "He got off easy," he commented while tossing the remote onto the coffee table. Henry got up from the couch and headed back to the kitchen to check on dinner.

"You call that easy?" Jamie asked as he trailed behind.

"With those vultures? You've probably never really paid close attention to your father when he's gone before the press before," Henry remarked.

"I don't know...guess not," Jamie shrugged and dropped onto the stool by the kitchen island to watch his grandfather stir the chili he had simmering on the stove.

Henry replaced the lid on the pot and turned back to his grandson. "Now that you know the commissioner's your father, you'll pay more attention to these things. Everything having to do with 1PP will have a whole new meaning to you. They don't cut him or anyone any slack. It was the same way when I was the PC. They look for any reason to fillet you, especially on camera, but your dad's a lot better at handling them than I ever was. He knows how to shut them down without ruffling too many feathers. I was the opposite...spoke my mind and ended up in hot water too many times to count."

"Why'd you guys want to be PC if all it does is put a target on your back?" Jamie wondered. He lived his life shying away from most attention which was ironic considering that the uniform definitely put its own kind of target on your back every time you stepped out on the street, but he knew he was doing some good through his work.

"It's a calling...and we do it for you, Danny, Joe and all of the men and women like you that make up the department. We might not like the politics, but we love the people under our command and they deserve to have someone on up the 14th floor that'll have their backs. And no one does it better than your father."

"I know," Jamie said and finished the last of his beer before continuing. "I came here because of him."

Henry thought that was odd statement considering he had no clue who he was. "What do you mean?"

"After college, I knew I wanted to be a cop and I knew I had to get away from Buffalo. I was always tempted to come to New York, but the thought of moving here on my own was a little overwhelming. So I started to check out departments all over the east coast."

"And?"

"No one else ran a department like dad," Jamie replied. Henry smiled noticing that it was first time he had heard Jamie refer to Francis that way. "I just knew I had to come here, but I thought it was just because of the department."

"It was fate, son," Henry smiled. "I wish we wouldn't have missed out on so much of your life, but we couldn't be happier to have you with us now."

Jamie smiled and went back to his encounter that afternoon. "I don't know how you do it. Finding those reporters camped out in front of my apartment, that kind of freaked me out. I'm not used to having anyone up in my business like that and now it's going to be front page news..."

"It's always darkest before the dawn," Henry recited, narrowing his eyes at the eye roll Jamie gave him. "Don't give me that look, it's true. I know it's overwhelming right now, but think of everything you've gone through already in the past few months and most of it was alone while you tried finding your way. I won't tell you that it will be easy because it won't be, but you've got us now."

"I'm home!" Frank announced his arrival from the entryway. It had been a hell of an afternoon and he was in need of a drink and had expected to find his father and Jamie in the living room doing the same thing.

"Back here," Henry advised.

"Hey," Jamie greeted half-heartedly when his father walked into the kitchen.

"Hey yourself," Frank replied and patted Jamie on the back on the way to the fridge for one of the same beers he had been drinking. His son appeared a little dejected as he assumed he would be after they spoke earlier that afternoon and hopefully what he had to say wouldn't bring him completely down.

"You did a good job with those reporters, Francis," Henry praised.

"I don't know about that. I didn't give them much which you know just makes them hungrier for more," Frank retorted before taking a long pull from his bottle.

"Did they really go to my precinct?" Jamie asked. He wondered what all of the guys there were thinking about this. He was going to have to prepare himself for the stares and whispers that would await him tomorrow.

"That's where they tried to find you first apparently," Frank confirmed.

"Are they going to be following me around? How am I supposed to go on patrol with a tail?" Jamie questioned, not knowing that his father was already working on that problem.

"I had Renzulli take you off the rotation for a few days," Frank advised, deciding it was best not to delay the inevitable. Just as he expected, Jamie wasn't happy that he'd made that decision without consulting with him first, but there was no way he could be out on the street with the growing media frenzy. Garrett was already fielding interview requests from both the local and national media and a photo of a casual, unsuspecting Jamie from that very afternoon outside of his apartment building was already circulating on all of the media outlets.

"Seriously?!" Jamie exclaimed.

For a second, Frank felt like he was dealing with an adolescent Danny or Joe who were arguing his decision to ground them, but he was prepared for such a reaction. "It's for the best, Jamie. Your face is all over the news already and it's only going to get worse."

"And then what? I can't hide out in my apartment until this dies down."

"No you can't. So you'll stay here for a few days at least."

"What?!"

Henry turned to hide his grin at his grandson's reaction while secretly pleased that they would have the boy around.

"I already got a call from your local precinct, they're dealing with news trucks parked all up and down Water Street hoping to catch another glimpse of you, not to mention the ones trying to get access to this house...we have no one but local traffic coming into the neighborhood."

Jamie dropped his face into his hands. "I don't even have a change of clothes," he complained.

"Danny's stopping by your place right now and he'll pick up some things for you."

"Great," Jamie grumbled and let his arms fall unceremoniously onto the countertop as he thought of his older brother rifling through his things. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"It's not ideal, son, but I told you this would happen. Now we deal with it and make the best of it. And look, pop made chili," Frank smiled trying to find a bright side to all of this.

* * *

 _So how exactly will Jamie pass the time at the family home?_


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Danny pushed through the storm door to the back patio and smirked when he saw Jamie shooting hoops by himself out by the garage, the sound of the ball bouncing off the concrete driveway echoing across the yard. "Hey! You should be inside!" he admonished.

Jamie glanced over her his shoulder but continued with his layup to the basket. "There's nothing to do inside," he complained as he dribbled that ball back out to the perimeter of the driveway.

Danny frowned at the Buffalo Bills logo on the front of Jamie's t-shirt...he really should have paid more attention to the items he'd packed for him last night. "You're gonna give some photographer with a long lens a chance at some pics," he warned and spun around in a full circle to inspect the vicinity just in case he was right.

"So what? It's not like my face isn't everywhere already," Jamie huffed. He and the family were the lead story on every news program, both local and cable, which had deterred him from watching television. And he was too antsy to sit around and listen to Henry's stories, so he headed outside to distract himself with the basketball...he'd been grounded less than 24 hours and he was already going nuts over this.

"Yeah, that it is. The Post ran side by side pics of you as a baby and your department photo. I forgot how cute you were," Danny teased in an attempt to get the kid to crack a smile but that task might be harder than he expected. He supposed that headlines like _'Top Cop's Missing Son Found!' and_ ' _PC's Kid Found His Own Way Home'_ didn't help.

"Not funny," Jamie griped as he lobbed a shot into the air and went after his own rebound only to have Danny sweep in for the steal.

"No it's not, kid. And I hate to break it to you, but you won't have a future in undercover work." Jamie gave him the stink eye in return. "But lucky for you I got the day off so I came by to keep you occupied," he grinned as he took a shot.

"I don't need a babysitter, Danny," Jamie proclaimed, but despite his sour mood, he bounced the ball back out to his older brother. "And I don't plan to leave the house either if that's what you guys are thinking."

"No we're not, but Linda's at work and the kids are at school. Figured we could hang, let grandpa cook for us and chew the fat," he proposed while dribbling the ball around the driveway. "I got 25 years worth of brotherly torture and advice to lay on you," he smirked.

Jamie grimaced. "And you plan to do that all today?"

"No. But we gotta start sometime, right?" he reasoned and threw up a long shot which sadly missed the basket by about a mile.

"Great," Jamie sighed while he went after the ball as it bounced away onto the lawn.

The brothers played quietly for a few minutes, each taking several shots before Danny initiated some small talk. "Your place wasn't what I expected," he commented.

"What do you mean?" Jamie frowned, feeling defensive of the small space he called home while also worrying about what he'd come across when Danny had gone by to get his stuff.

"I don't know," Danny shrugged as he went for the ball. "That building of yours is a dump, Jamie; we're gonna have to find you a new place, just so you know. And you're a young bachelor, I guess I was expecting to walk into a disaster area...you know, dirty clothes and empty takeout containers all over the place, but it turns out you got Grandma Betty's OCD gene," he laughed. The place was ridiculously clean and organized and seemed out of place in that building.

"I'm not like Sherry. You saw what her place looked like?" he asked, continuing after Danny nodded. "She was a slob, always was. I like order...that's why this sucks so bad." He liked knowing what was coming ahead of time and this situation had him uneasy with the disruption to his home and work life.

"Well," Danny grinned as he passed the ball back to his brother, "at least I had no trouble finding your stuff."

"Did you snoop through my things?!" Jamie worried.

Danny pointed back at himself, the picture of complete innocence. "Me?! Never!" But he kind of had. He didn't rummage through drawers or anything, but he did take his time looking around the room, checking out the titles to the stacks of books he kept in a rickety, used bookcase, helping himself to a bottle of water in the fridge and easily noticing how everything appeared to be precisely in its place.

Jamie narrowed his eyes at the other man. He may only have known him for a few months, but he could tell he was full of crap. "Right."

Danny smirked and snatched the ball after it swished through the basket. "One thing I did notice was that there weren't any signs of the opposite sex," he said.

Jamie's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You got a girl?" Danny asked curiously choosing another topic to get to keep his brother talking.

Jamie let out an incredulous laugh. "With this mess going on?...No. And if I was, they'd probably run." Who the hell would want his baggage?

Speaking of girls, something occurred to Danny that he had been meaning to ask. "I got a question for you..."

"What?"

"What was up between you and Erin in the beginning?" Danny inquired recalling the weird vibes he got from Jamie the first time all of them had met together.

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked, hoping that Danny wasn't alluding to something he'd prefer not to discuss...ever.

"You got all shy and flushed when you saw her here that night," Danny paused when he remembered it was that awful night they'd broken the news to him, "well you know, that night we told you." There was only one thing he could associate it with. "It reminded me of when Joe's friends would come over and get all goofy over Erin..." Danny's eyes bugged out as his lips stretched into a wide smile. "Wait a minute! No way! Were you crushing on her?!" Danny snickered.

"Shut up, Danny!" Jamie shouted, grateful that he was already flushed from playing ball. "Was not," he claimed while wondering if there was some deep dark hole nearby where he could hide for the rest of his life.

"Sure you weren't," Danny laughed but could see his brother's embarrassment.

"Quit it and don't ever bring that up again!" Jamie pleaded. Figures Danny would have noticed that.

"Fine," Danny relented, ready to give the kid a break. "So? Don't you date?" he asked.

Jamie shrugged, happy to move on from Erin. "Here and there. I was with someone for a while, but it ended last year," he revealed as he casually dribbled the ball from one hand to the other.

"Sorry to hear that," Danny sympathized.

"It's fine," Jamie said and walked around the driveway with the ball. "Better to know it wasn't going to work before it was too late."

"What happened?" Danny prodded. Jamie was playing it off as no big deal but he could tell this girl must have meant something.

"I became a cop," Jamie explained as he passed the ball.

"Say what?" Danny shot back as he caught the basketball before it hit him in square in the chest and held it against his side as he waited for Jamie to answer.

Jamie braced his hands on both hips and scrubbed his sneakered foot along the smooth surface of the driveway as he began talking. "Sydney - that was her name - we started dating when I was in the academy, not long after I moved to the city...thought I was the luckiest guy in the world to meet her so soon after coming here. She was a law clerk at a big corporate firm downtown waiting on the results of her bar exam when we met. Syd was great...fell really hard for her. She came from a big happy family and got that I didn't considering I wouldn't talk much about Sherry. She was the only one I had cheering me on at graduation...things were getting serious between us."

Danny thought about how they were at that very same graduation, as they were every year to support their father and the department, cheering the whole class on without knowing one of their own was sitting right in the middle of it. "So what happened? I mean, she knew you were going to be a cop when you met."

"Remember that cop that got shot during a diamond heist last fall?"

Danny's brows shot up. "Yeah, of course. I actually worked that case."

"Oh, yeah?" Jamie said.

"Yeah. But what happened with Sydney?"

Jamie led his brother over to the patio deck to sit on the steps. "Sydney's opinion of the job changed after that. She started obsessing that I wouldn't come back safe every time I left for tour. She said that hearing about that officer getting shot while on duty is when the reality finally hit her, that I was gonna be out there every day."

Danny was fully aware that there were people that weren't cut out to deal with the worry and fear that came with being with a cop. He knew it was even hard on Linda and he thanked God every day that she loved him enough to respect his choice of career and remained by his side. "And what happened?" he asked even though the end to this story was clear to him.

"I told her it was where I wanted to be, you know? I couldn't change who I was or stop doing what I loved...I loved her too but I hadn't been as happy with anything in my life as I was being a cop. She knew from day one what I wanted to do, so we tried making it work, but we were just fooling ourselves. We were both afraid to let go and when she got offered this really great opportunity to work a big case in London for six months, she took it as a sign."

"I take it she never came back?" Danny presumed.

Jamie pursed his lips as he thought of Sydney; he'd often wondered what she was up to after they split. "Not exactly sure if she did or not...she ended things before she left and I didn't expect her to change her mind while she was away...it was probably for the best."

"So that's it? You really haven't seen anyone since then?" Danny inquired.

"Why are you so interested in my love life?" Jamie asked suspiciously.

"You're my kid brother! Plus, you should know that I got a trick or two I can teach you so you don't turn into some kind of monk."

Jamie let out a throaty laugh. "Haven't you and Linda been together since you were like 10?"

"No smart ass, 17!" Danny corrected.

"So when did you have time to seduce the ladies before then, Casanova?"

"Hey, you never quit working on keeping your significant other in love with you. It takes a lot of effort to keep the romance going, you don't stop once you say 'I do.'"

"You must work real hard," Jamie deadpanned.

"Ha ha, smart ass," Danny droaned.

"I think I'm fine, thanks," Jamie assured his brother. "I'm pretty sure that's not something that will even be on my mind for a while."

* * *

After a long lunch consisting of their grandfather's left over chili ladled over all-beef hotdogs accompanied by several beers, the boys filled the rest of the afternoon with a competitive, and sometimes overly-aggressive, game of twenty-one which led to another after Jamie was first to claim a win. The pair had been rather animated as they fought to out trash-talk the other in between Danny's colorful regaling of childhood stories. By four-o'clock, both men were stretched out across the furniture in the sunroom halfway to a light doze while the last of the Mission Impossible movies played on the television.

That was how Erin found them when she arrived at her father's house. She decided that a last minute cancellation of a witness deposition and an otherwise easy day at the office was a good reason to take off early, a rare act by the very dedicated ADA, and visit with her little brother while he was locked up at their father's house. Erin's smile turned into a grimace the closer she got to the sunroom and took in their appearances; their sweat-stained t-shirts still showed evidence of their battle on the court as they had been too exhausted to go any further than the nearest horizontal surfaces on which they could both collapse. "You two look disgusting," Erin commented with no desire to greet Jamie with a bone-crushing hug as had been her habit.

Jamie smiled at his sister, too tired to offer a retort from where he was draped across the loveseat since Danny had commandeered the more comfortable couch with a shove to the side and a reminder that he outranked him.

"We look better than we smell," Danny mumbled without bothering to open his very heavy eyelids.

"That too," Erin agreed and pulled the ottoman a few inches away from them before taking a seat to spare her olfactory senses.

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"Thought I'd stop by for a visit since my afternoon cleared up," Erin advised. "Looks like you guys have had a busy day."

"We did. Played some ball, ate some chili dogs, drank some beer," Danny listed.

"Sounds like a productive day," Erin joked.

"It was," Jamie confirmed. "Found out Danny can't handle chili dogs and beer too soon before a couple of games of one-on-one. He's disgusting by the way...not sure how you dealt with him all this time."

"It was difficult, but we managed," Erin sighed.

"Hey! Have some respect for your older brother!" he barked at his siblings before turning his head to glare at Jamie. "I came all the way out here to keep you company and this is the thanks I get?!" Danny sat up, releasing a groan at the aches and pains that were making themselves known. "I gotta go meet Linda and the kids back at home," he advised, his face becoming pinched as he stood up onto stiff, uncooperative legs while pulling the collar of his t-shirt up to his face for a sniff. "I need a shower," he stated and began taking slow, deliberate steps toward the front door.

"So gross...use soap, lots of it!" Erin suggested with a roll of her eyes as Jamie laughed.

"Funny girl...I'll see you Sunday," Danny replied with a wave of his hand.

Erin and Jamie bid him farewell and remained quiet until the front door opened and closed.

"So how are you doing?" Erin asked while sizing him up. Jamie looked pretty relaxed considering what was going on; Danny had done a good job of wearing Jamie out and keeping him distracted.

"Okay," Jamie shrugged, sensing that his over-protective sister had the urge to coddle him some more.

"Yeah?"

"I guess," Jamie said as he sat up in the love seat. "Not happy about getting grounded," he added and smirked as a thought a occurred to him. "Do you think dad's trying to make up for lost time?"

Erin chuckled at the joke. "You and dad are the most sought after people in the country right now. Luckily for dad, he has a full detail with him at all times and works in a government building to keep the media at bay."

"I can't hide forever," Jamie countered.

"No, you can't. But trust me, you want to give it a few days to get them to settle down...a little bit at least, and then you'll be back on patrol again. Even I'm getting calls at work asking for comments and interviews."

Jamie nodded. The rest of them weren't being spared from the media attention, but they seemed to be used to it, unlike him. Jamie chewed on his lip thoughtfully as he wondered about Sherry...he was trying not to waste his time worrying about her, but all of the attention made him curious as to whether she was trying to come up with some crazy defense scheme. "Have you heard anything else about her?" Jamie finally asked.

There was no doubt who 'her' was and Erin decided it was better to share the rumblings she'd heard from the Brooklyn DA. "I heard she's getting new counsel."

"From the PD's office?" Jamie assumed.

"No...some scumbag defense attorney I've gone up against a few times," Erin clarified. Richard Frankel gave all attorneys a bad wrap which was why his nickname, Dick, was so apropos. He was a shameless media hound who sought out high-publicity cases every chance he got.

"How is she paying for that? She doesn't have any money to cover attorney's fees," Jamie said.

"He's doing it pro bono...which means he's really doing it for the publicity. The jerk is just using her to get his name and face out there."

"I'm sure she's thinking the same thing," Jamie reasoned. "She's not stupid and probably thinks it's better than some public defender."

"It's not going to affect the outcome of the case, so don't worry," Erin assured him. She would see to that personally if she had to.

But Jamie couldn't help the doubt that creeped into his voice. "You sure about that?"

"As sure as I've ever felt about anything," Erin proclaimed and gave him her sweetest smile. "You know, if you were still a baby, I'd be taking you upstairs and drawing you a bath right now."

"Is that your way of telling me I need to shower too?"

"I would hope that you wouldn't need me to tell you that," she smiled sweetly.

Jamie conceded and got up from his comfy chair, groaning at his own sore muscles. "You going to stick around?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Nicky's with her dad tonight so I thought I'd join you boys for dinner."

Jamie smiled and nodded. "Okay, good. I'll be down in a little while."

Erin smiled as her brother left the sunroom. "Doesn't take much to convince you...Danny on the other hand, he was allergic to water as a kid. Did you know that mom once locked him out of the house unless he bathed?"

Jamie shook his head and smiled. "That I want to hear! Hold that thought!" he shouted as he took the stairs two at a time on the way up to the bathroom.

* * *

 _Nothing like some brotherly bonding! Even managed to work Sydney into the story line which makes for an interesting idea...if I can manage a sequel, what would her reaction be to all of this?_

 _Next up, I worked in a scene from the first season of the show as Jamie is introduced to yet another member of the family during day two of his grounding._


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The next day, Jamie dutifully followed his grandfather through the back door of the house. "Why are we going out to the garage?" he asked in a voice that came close to bordering on a whine.

Henry had managed to keep his restless grandson entertained for a few hours with some more stories from his patrol days and requests to help his old grandfather with some chores around the house; he didn't have Danny or Erin around today to keep the boy occupied during his house arrest. Henry figured Jamie would be able to entertain himself for a while after lunch, but the sighs of boredom and frustration were wearing on him and he came up with just the thing to keep Jamie busy for a good, long while. "Because you said you were bored," Henry advised with a glance over his shoulder to make sure he was still following. "Well, I'm going to take care of that."

Jamie's brow wrinkled. "You gonna make me do yard work or something?"

Henry chuckled as he came to a stop in front of the garage and glanced at the early fall foliage that lay scattered all over the lawn. "That's an idea."

"Come on," Jamie griped, thinking there was no way he could be serious. He'd already changed bulbs, tightened wobbly dining room chairs, replaced a leaky shower head and carried up several boxes of used clothing and housewares from the basement only to stack them neatly by the front door for the donation truck. He knew what the old man was doing and if it wasn't because he really was bored to death, he might have voiced his objections, but Jamie got the feeling that it would not have made a difference anyway.

"You come on. Now pull that garage door up," Henry ordered.

Normally not one to argue with his elders, Jamie did as he was told and froze at what he found inside. "Woah..." he gasped in awe, never realizing what had been stored inside.

Henry smiled at his reaction, but had to admit she really was a beauty. "She's something, huh?"

Eyes still wide, Jamie approached the classic car, running two fingers along the edge of the hood as he walked down the driver's side to get a view from the back of the garage. "You can say that again."

"'71 Chevelle SS," Henry stated as he continued to admire it.

Jamie walked around to the other side to look through the passenger's side window at the pristine interior. He wasn't a car fanatic or anything, but he knew what he liked and the Chevelle was pretty damn sweet. "Is this dad's car?" he asked.

"It used to be," Henry answered.

Jamie stood up straight and looked across the roof of the car at the older man. "What do you mean? Who does it belong to now?"

A solemn expression crossed his face before answering. "Joe," he stated thickly. Jamie questioned him with his eyes and waited for Henry to explain. "Francis bought this car right about the time he and your mother were dating...he saved and scrimped to put the money together," Henry recalled fondly. "There are a lot of memories in this car...drove away with his new bride in it along with a half dozen empty cans tied to the rear bumper," he smiled. "But they used it less and less as they started having each of you kids." Henry paused while a funny thought ran across his mind. "Hmph...I can still remember your father's face the day they brought home the station wagon, that was when your mom was pregnant with Joe. It's kind of the same look Danny gets when he has to drive Linda and the kids in her minivan," he chuckled.

Jamie smiled as he glanced over flawless body of the car. "He kept it all this time?" he inquired.

"Of course. Your father is not one to let go of the things he loves." Henry took a few steps back and sat down on an old stool. "He taught your bothers and sister how to drive in this Chevelle. He insisted that they all learn to drive stick first and taught them the basics like changing a tire and general maintenance," he advised.

"Even Erin?" Jamie asked.

"Are you kidding me?!" Henry scoffed. "She was the first one to roll up her sleeves, slide under the engine and get grease under her fingernails! There is very little that will keep that sister of yours from getting down and dirty with the rest of the boys."

Jamie braced himself against the hood and grinned. Somehow, that wasn't a surprise.

"Each of the kids inherited this car when they got their licenses and Joe finally got it when Erin headed off to Columbia, it was his turn plus it made no sense for her to have it parked along a New York City block when she could easily get around campus by walking. Ever since then, it was always Joe's car. He loved it so much," Henry reminisced. "He never had any interest in trading it in for something newer and more modern...even when it started to putter out on him in college. Instead, he rebuilt the engine himself." Henry reached into his pocket and before Jamie knew it, he was tossing him a set of keys which he deftly snatched in mid air. "Why don't you start her up and bring her out onto the driveway. She could use a good wash and wax. There's a bucket, rags, soap and anything else you might need in that first cabinet," he suggested as he got up and headed back toward the house.

Jamie frowned at his retreating form. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

Henry turned around to face Jamie just as he got to the steps of the deck. "To do the Time's crossword," he advised with an incredulous look. "What? Did you think I'd be helping you?" Henry shook his head and chuckled as he climbed the steps and disappeared into the house.

"I guess not," Jamie whispered, but smiled as he studied the keys in his hand, biting his lip and smiling in anticipation as he rounded the front end of the blue Chevelle. He opened the driver's side door to slip inside and started her up quickly only to have his smile widen as the car roared to life, giving him another connection to this new family of his.

* * *

Jamie was just polishing the last of the wax from the gleaming surface of the hood when Frank walked out of the house wearing one of his customary, after-work shawl cardigans. It wasn't often that he would find himself at home before sunset on a workday, but it was Friday and he and his detail deserved to call it quits early after doing their best over the second part of the week to carry out his usual duties while trying to fend off the media every where they went. Frank put his hands in his pockets and smiled as he watched Jamie hard at work. "She looks great," he praised as he neared the vehicle. His father had reported that Jamie spent the better part of the afternoon checking her out from stem to stern before he took extra care in washing and waxing the Chevelle.

Jamie wiped one last smudge with the rag before stepping back and admiring his work. "Yeah, she does," he said while he ran the sleeve of his SUNY-Buffalo t-shirt across his forehead. Despite the mild fall temperature, he had managed to work up a sweat.

Frank couldn't stop the memories that came rushing back like some old movie reel in his mind. "You know Joe restored it from the ground up...worked two jobs the summer before his sophomore year of college for extra money and he found the engine in Rochester," he shared, proud of the effort Joe had put into his old car.

"Grandpa told me a little about it," Jamie said, finding it easier every day to refer to these people as family. Henry had shared a little more on its history during a trip out back to personally deliver a glass of iced tea.

"Oh yeah?" Frank said with some surprise as he stood on the other side of the car. "I never could figure out why he loved this car so much. He wasn't even born when I bought it."

Jamie smiled shyly. Seeing the way they were with each other and even the way they talked about each other, it wasn't hard to figure out the answer. "I could take a wild guess."

"Alright," Frank nodded, wondering what his take was on it from the little he knew about them so far.

"Number one, it's an awesome car," Jamie proclaimed with a bright smile. He'd fallen in love with it the second he laid eyes on it. However, Jamie turned bashful as he revealed the other reason. "Number two...probably because it was your car."

Frank didn't miss the implication and his throat tightened unexpectedly. "You missed a spot," he pointed out to distract himself, holding his hand out toward Jamie who quickly tossed over his rag.

Jamie frowned at his apparent discomfort, but since they were on the topic, he wanted to say something he'd meant to tell him before. "Renzulli told me some stuff about what happened to him...to Joe. I'm really sorry, I wish I could have met him." For all of the misery he had experienced growing up with Sherry, he realized it didn't compare to the losses they had unexpectedly suffered with his mother, Joe and even himself and he was trying to move past the self-pity that sometimes blinded him to what everyone else had endured.

"So do I," Frank said as he focused on polishing the non-existent spot on the Chevelle's right fender.

"What happened that night?" Jamie asked tentatively, unsure if his father would even share that with him. He would understand if he refused to answer, but he'd wondered about what really happened to Joe ever since Renzulli gave him the Cliff Notes.

Frank ran the cloth across the surface of the car one last time before placing it on the hood. Jamie waited patiently as Frank placed his hands back into his pockets and began to speak. "Joe was hitting a location, Brooklyn South, just like dozens of other times he and his team would head out...the story we got and that we were stupid enough to believe was that the perp rabbited..." Frank smiled sadly as he thought about his track-star son, "your brother could run...anyway, they said that he chased this guy down and another perp came out of nowhere and shot Joe four times," he paused to purse his lips as a familiar anger welled up in his gut. "And our guys returned fire on him. There was one perp dead at the scene and no one else was left to say any different."

"It's hard to understand...the guys that are supposed to have your back, how could they have done that to him?" Jamie wondered. Never in a million years would he ever think that Renzulli wouldn't have his back, much less purposely try to hurt him; your partner was all you had when you went out onto the streets. That's what made it so difficult for him to grasp, but he supposed he was too new and too green to really see the bad that could exist in his own department...or maybe he just didn't want to.

"I don't know, son. It would be easy to just say it was greed, but it wasn't that simple. The Warrant Squad is a great unit. A strong team, early tours, a lot of overtime. Apparently Joe had sniffed out the bad apples, but he never imagined they'd all be capable of doing what they did. I would like to think that he would have come to me - to anyone - if he did."

"Why didn't he ever say anything?"

"That's something I wish I knew. Sometimes I think he wanted to prove to the FBI that the corruption didn't extend further up the ladder than they suspected."

"He wanted to protect you," Jamie blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

Frank's lips formed a tight line; it wasn't the first time that he had considered that. "Yet I was unable to protect him," he exhaled. He had a lot of regrets in his life, but standing here with Jamie now reminded him that he had a lot to be thankful for as well. "You should have the car," he said as he looked into Jamie's eyes. "Take her home."

Jamie was confused until Frank nodded at the Chevelle. He looked down at the car and shock registered on his face. "No...I can't," he stammered with a shake of his head.

"You can and you will," Frank said in a tone that left no room for argument, but his expression softened as he thought about the fact that his beloved Chevelle would finally be driven by all of his children. "Since I became police commissioner, they drive me everywhere," he said with a casual shrug. "Besides, it would have been yours eventually."

Jamie bit his lip and nodded, clearing his throat as he was overwhelmed by the gesture. "Home?" he asked as a way to change topics. "And when exactly am I going home?"

"How about Sunday?" Frank proposed.

"What! Sunday?!" But Jamie was smart enough to know he wasn't being given an option.

"Give your old man a break. Plus I need a couple days to teach you somethings about this car. And..."

"And what?" Jamie asked.

"And we need that long to start searching for your new apartment, Jamie," Frank stated.

"Apartment? Why do I need a new apartment?"

"Number one, the world knows where you live now and you need a lot more security than that place can give you...and so does the Chevelle," Frank fretted. "And number two, I've seen where you live. You deserve better than that."

"I'm not going to win that argument, am I?" Jamie lamented.

"Nope," Frank smirked. "But don't worry, we'll have most of it figured out before you go back on the rotation with Renzulli on Monday morning. I trust him to have your back on patrol."

* * *

 _What? No one else saw the Chevelle as a whole other member of the family that first season? Personally, I was disappointed they didn't have Frank or Jamie keep the old car and fix her up considering the effort they said Joe put into rebuilding her. If Jamie survived the crash into the concrete barrier without so much as a visible scratch, no way the old girl was_ _totaled! Big fail by the BB writers if you ask me. :/_

 _Next, Jamie returns to work and the expected looks and whispers from his colleagues. Unfortunately for Jamie, one of his fellow officers feels the need to confront him on his new identity as the PC's kid, someone we don't see on the show until years later. Any guesses?_

 _And fair warning...there are a week's worth of postings left as this story begins to wind down. I can't thank everyone enough for their continuous feedback._


	29. Chapter 29

_Sorry for the delay, everyone; got hit with a nasty flu bug over the weekend and had no desire to log onto any computers or mobile devices._

Chapter 29

Jamie stared straight ahead and tugged down on his service cap, ignoring the covert glances and whispers from his fellow officers as he walked down the hallway of the Twelfth Precinct toward the exit. Renzulli had mercifully ordered him to go out and wait in their RMP after roll call, away from countless pairs of inquisitive eyes while he finished up few administrative tasks before heading out on patrol. From the moment Jamie arrived, everyone he passed was curious for a glimpse of the commissioner's newly discovered son, as if they expected him to have changed somehow in the days since the news broke - sprouted wings or grown a second head...a mustache, maybe?...who knows what they expected. He predicted that his first few days back would be this way, but it didn't make it any easier. James Riordan was a well-liked and respected young officer with many friends at the precinct. He wasn't going to change when he started going by Jameson Reagan, but even those officers that he considered his friends were finding it difficult to say more than a passing 'hey', which is why it wasn't surprising that Officer Michael Hoffman did not hesitate to chase after him while on his way out to the RMP.

"Hey, Jimmy!" Hoffman hollered as he jogged after his old academy classmate.

Jamie cursed under his breath, not needing to turn and look to see who was after him as the familiar voice easily grated on his nerves. "Hey, Hoffman," Jamie replied cordially but stayed on course toward his assigned car, rolling his eyes when the other man caught up to him but grateful for the cover he provided from the one photographer he spotted so far hanging out across the street.

"So...the commissioner's kid, huh?! Man! Do I still call you Jimmy? Or is it Jameson now?" Hoffman snarked.

"Doesn't matter, Mike," Jamie responded curtly and hoped that the man would take the hint and leave him alone as he unlocked the driver's side door.

"I think it does," Hoffman replied as he placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder to stop him from slipping inside the car. "Your face is all over the news. You should have seen the crews that were set up outside the precinct the other day," he chuckled, but considering the way Jamie was glaring back at him, Hoffman began to worry that he might have screwed over the wrong person in the much too recent past now that his colleague had the PC backing him. It didn't appear that Jamie had let go of what he had hoped everyone saw as a simple misunderstanding. "Oh come on, man! I'm trying to play nice. You still holding a grudge?" he asked, hoping to smooth things over.

Hoffman had deliberately stolen one of Jamie's felony collars during their rookie year and he was finding that hard to forgive. It wasn't how cops should treat one another, especially when most, if not all, busted their asses out on the street everyday not only to keep the public safe, but to also make a name for themselves while trying to climb some ladders. It took lots of felony collars like the one Hoffman had snatched away from him to get noticed and be considered worthy of a bump up to detective. "You know what you did, man," Jamie said in a low voice. He hadn't reported Hoffman when he'd done it...at the time he was riding with another officer while Renzulli was on vacation. He hadn't known what to do and didn't mention it to Renzulli upon his return...it felt like it was too little too late by then, plus he hated to look like he couldn't fend for himself when his TO was out. And it was clear that he hadn't.

"Come on! Let it go already! It's ancient history...just a little misunderstanding," he urged.

Jamie grew angrier when Hoffman labeled his act a 'misunderstanding.' "It was a collar you stole from me. Who else have you pulled that on?" he asked suspiciously.

Hoffman took a step closer to Jamie. "Hey, watch yourself, Jimmy. Don't go around making accusations you can't back up," he warned.

"Whatever, Mike. You know what you did, not that you care," Jamie shot back.

"Get over it. Besides, that's nothing compared to what's going on right now, I mean, you're the PC's kid! Jeez...talk about winning the lottery," he remarked, fearing that Jamie would beat him to detective just like he had to the top spot in their class. "How long have you known about that by the way? Is that how you beat me out for number one? Was your daddy helping you out back then and keeping your identity a secret?"

Jamie laughed humorlessly while glancing toward the precinct entrance where his boss had just appeared. "Nope, beat you out with something called _honest_ , hard work."

Hoffman snorted. "Yeah, right."

"You're the one that doesn't let us forget that your uncle's a chief on his way to being deputy commissioner. You still trying to work that hook along with stealing other people's collars?" Jamie wondered.

That got under Hoffman's skin easier than Jamie expected. "Shut your mouth, Jimmy," he hissed as he jabbed a finger into Jamie's chest.

"Am I interrupting something here?" Renzulli questioned with a raised brow as he approached the passenger's side door of their RMP. His partner had gotten some looks and whispers back inside, but he didn't expect anyone to cause the kid trouble over the news of his true parentage, just maybe the usual gossip about any officer with a major hook...although this one was more like a crane.

"No, sarge," Jamie answered while Hoffman let out a dutiful 'no, sir' as his eyes remained trained on his colleague.

"Then I believe you have a tour to start, Hoffman, unless your assignment involves standing around yapping in front of the precinct all day."

"No, sir," Hoffman repeated and finally turned to address his sergeant. "Have a good tour, sir," he offered with a forced smile before heading off to his own RMP.

"I plan to," Renzulli said and climbed into his seat. "What's his deal?" he asked once Jamie got settled inside.

"Guy's a jerk," Jamie replied and left it at that, turning on the car and adjusting his mirrors.

"Tell me something I don't know...he may be a jerk, but he's also a good cop," Renzulli commented as he reached for his seatbelt.

Jamie refused to agree with the second part of that assessment and kept his mouth shut instead.

Renzulli narrowed his eyes at his boot. "You two have a beef I should know about?"

"Nope," Jamie replied stiffly which spoke volumes about how he really felt.

"Yeah...right." Renzulli shook his head and left that problem for another day. "Let's get going, kid." They drove in their usual comfortable silence for several blocks before Renzulli checked in on what had concerned him earlier. "So how was it coming into the precinct this morning?"

"About how I expected," Jamie shrugged. It had been awkward and uncomfortable; he hated any situation that put the spotlight on him and none was bigger than suddenly having the Reagan name in this city.

"It'll get better. Everyone's just surprised, is all," Renzulli retorted. "Shocked the hell out of me..."

"They can all get in line," Jamie sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Have you decided what you're going to go by - name, I mean - cause I'm not exactly sure what to call you although I suppose I can just call you JR; whichever way you go, your initials aren't changing. Ha! You can keep the monogrammed towels you keep in your master bath," Renzulli chuckled as he slapped Jamie in the chest with the back of his hand.

Jamie smiled at the lame joke. "Funny, sarge. And I am changing my name," he announced.

"You taking your birth name?" Renzulli asked. That confirmed to him that all was going well with the family.

"Yes."

"Well, good for you."

"I still gotta make it official, get ID, let HR know. It's going to make things real interesting back at the precinct; today was just the beginning."

"Things with you will always be interesting whether you changed it or not, that's just a fact of life now."

"I guess," Jamie agreed.

"So...Jameson?" Renzulli smirked.

"Jamie," he corrected and blew out a deep breath, "still getting used to it."

Renzulli smiled, thinking the same thing. "Jamie," he repeated. "Okay, Jamie it is."

* * *

Jamie lifted one of the slats in the blinds to peek through the window and onto the street below, strangely excited that this Lower East Side apartment didn't offer the same view he had at home; he'd lived in his studio long enough to start thinking apartments only came with views of grimy brick walls. As nice as it was to see what was out there in terms of new places to live, he worried about rushing into something while he was still getting his life sorted. "How many more of these do we have to look at? I already saw one with dad and two with Erin," Jamie asked Danny when he came back from inspecting the lone bedroom in the 650 square foot apartment.

"As many as it takes to find you the right one," Danny advised while he too peeked through the window.

"I still don't understand why you're all pushing so hard to get me to move. I'm fine where I am," he stated.

"I've seen your neighborhood, Jamie," Danny scoffed. "I think you picked the cheapest apartment you could find when you moved to the city and didn't bother to research the area," he speculated. "There's no other way you could have ended up there."

"I did research it," Jamie argued.

Danny laughed, feeling like he was dealing with one of his boys when they were dishing out only half of what was really true. "And?"

"It wasn't the best," Jamie hedged, but the look Danny was sending him had him confessing like most of the perps he interrogated in the box. "Okay, fine," he conceded. "It would scare most people away, but the rent is cheap. I was on a tight budget since I was going to spend the better part of my first year here in the academy. And the landlord liked that I was gonna be a cop."

"Yeah, of course he did!" Danny laughed. "Because he probably thought you'd provide free security for the building! But now you're a second year officer, you're off of probation and got a bump up from that crappy, rookie pay _and_ Sherry's no longer bleeding you dry," he listed. "Plus, one day you're gonna leave your building and find the Chevelle gone and that can't happen," Danny stressed, hoping fear of losing the car convinced him to listen to their advice without argument.

All thoughts of a new apartment left Jamie's mind as another concern came to the forefront. "Are you guys okay with me driving it now? You and Erin, I mean."

Danny was confused by the question. "Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't know...it's just such a big thing for dad to give me...and not because of the monetary value, even though that made me feel a little weird, but it carries a lot of memories for all of you," Jamie worried. From what his father and grandfather had shared with him about the car, it seemed to be one last link to Joe.

Danny sighed and leaned against the windowsill. "Jamie, if you'd grown up with us, you would have made your own memories in that car, after Joe was done with it. He would have had it longer than Erin or I with the bigger age gap between you two, but it would have been yours. And I know it means a lot to dad for you to have it. It's the way it was supposed to be, so stop worrying and enjoy it," Danny assured him before going back to the reason they were here in the first place. "So what do you think about this place?"

"It's fine...close to the Twelfth so that's a plus...and it's less than the other three," he listed as he walked around the living room area. "But there's no rush to fill out any paperwork, I won't have my new ID until next week; it was the soonest I could get an appointment with the DMV. Plus, I got to save up for first and last month's rent and a security deposit."

"Don't worry about that," Danny said.

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked nervously. How the hell was he not supposed to worry about that?

"Just what I said, don't worry about it. All of the places we've been to...Dad knows the people who run them."

Jamie began shaking his head, hating where Danny might be going with this. "I don't want special treatment...and I can pay my own way, always have!"

"Relax! You won't get special treatment aside from the apartment being held for you if you want it and we know you can pay your own way. Dad can lend you the money if you insist on paying it back, but he's not expecting you to. He won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable but he wants to set you up the way you deserve, so just let him, Jamie," he pleaded. Their father would always carry some guilt or what happened, whether it was for not being there that day or for not being able to find Jamie sooner and he was looking to make up for it by doing a few of the things he had done for the rest of them when they had been ready to head out into the world. "Look at it this way, it's a lot less than it would have cost him to put you through school," Danny said and smiled at the eye roll he got. "So? Do we have to keep looking?"

Jamie looked around the apartment and pursed his lips...it was kind of nice having a car of his own instead of jumping on the train to get around town and the thought of his kitchen being completely separate and away from where he slept was definitely something to look forward to. "I guess not...this one's fine," Jamie shrugged casually as he hid the excitement that was starting to build from all of the positive changes in his life lately.

"Fine?"

"Alright, this one's freaking enormous compared to my studio!" Jamie admitted with an unmistakable smile.

"It's not a studio, it's a freaking shoebox with a view of a brick wall."

"Here we go."

* * *

 _So I wanted to have at least one person irritate Jamie at the precinct after his return to work and figured I'd throw in Officer Mike Hoffman who we knew nothing about until about season 5 (I think?)._


	30. Chapter 30

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed and for your 'get well' messages. Sorry I couldn't reply to each of you this time around._

Chapter 30

Linda smiled at the muffled, but rowdy voices that traveled through the closed kitchen window from the backyard. She was too focused on shredding the last of the cheese for her secret mac and cheese recipe to look out through the glass and identify the voices. Danny had cajoled Jamie and the kids into a game of basketball before dinner; she was certain her husband was still determined to outmaneuver and outshoot his little brother after what she gathered was a series of losses on the court several weeks back. "How did the big move go yesterday?" she asked the other family members who had remained inside to work on the day's meal. They had helped Jamie move into his new Lower East Side apartment while she had worked the 3 to 11 shift at the hospital, missing out on the moving party.

"Big?" Henry questioned her choice of adjectives as he basted the roast in the oven. "Wasn't very big at all. It kind of made me sad that he was able to pack up his whole life in a few boxes and suitcases," he commented.

"He didn't have any furniture to take with him, pop," Frank commented from the kitchen table where he had been reading the Sunday Times.

"Because nothing was worth taking, Francis...but still," Henry said as he shut the oven door. He'd visited Jamie on his own a few times before the move so that it wasn't always his grandson coming to them; he wanted him to know that they were equally dedicated to building a relationship as he was. Jamie was proud of the little he had and didn't need a fancy apartment to prove himself, but still, it wasn't any place he would want a child or a grandchild of his living.

"So did all of the new stuff he picked out get to his new apartment?" Linda asked.

"Everything but the sofa. I was only worried about the bed getting there, the rest he can wait on...so long as he has a place to sleep," Erin advised and frowned as she recalled a conversation she had with her little brother when they had gone out together to shop for furniture. "He mentioned that he usually slept on a couch growing up...most of the time that Riordan woman could only afford a single bedroom apartment and she'd take it for herself," she revealed while setting up a cutting board and knife on the island for her chopping duties. She was grateful that he at least had a roof over his head, but she thought all kids deserved the simple comfort of a bed to sleep in every night.

Frank's lips pressed into a tight line like they seemed to do every time Jamie opened up to them about his childhood. Things could have been a lot worse for him growing up with that woman. There were so many more ways he could have been hurt that Frank shuttered to think about. He had to be thankful in that regard, but it still hurt to know how differently he had been raised and not because of the material things he had been denied. He did not believe in handing children every little object they desired, but there was never a lack of love and support available to his own kids and that, he believed, no child should go without. "Well, now he's got a nice, safe place to call his own," Frank replied, referring to both the new apartment and this house, which he hoped Jamie saw as his home as well.

"Sounds like you guys got him all squared away," Linda said while stirring the grated cheese into the béchamel sauce she had bubbling away on the stove.

"We did, but I think he was a little overwhelmed by it all," Erin admitted as she moved between the refrigerator and the sink to rinse the vegetables for the salad.

"What do you mean?" Linda inquired.

"Erin and Francis set him up with every household item you could think of...from sheets and towels to pots and pans." Henry grinned at the pair whose guilty expressions confirmed his statement.

"He barely had anything!" Erin argued defensively, glancing through the window to make sure Jamie was still in the middle of the game.

"It was like watching Mary setting Erin up in her new dorm room at Columbia," Henry snickered with a look toward his granddaughter.

Erin smiled sheepishly as she finished with the greens. "It was kind of fun, but I don't think I'll enjoy it as much when I have to do it for Nicky," she confessed. Nicky was only a freshman in high school, but these next four years would fly by and she wasn't ready for that.

"It was a lot to do all at once," Frank agreed, but he too was unable to help himself.

"But he needed it," Erin asserted with a look at her father.

"You're right, he did, he's just not used to getting stuff handed to him like that...and I wouldn't want or expect him to, but it did make me feel better to do it for him," Frank confessed.

"I understand how you feel, Francis, but you have nothing to make up for nor does he expect anything from any of us," Henry assured his son, sensing Frank's need to make right what he wasn't responsible for screwing up in the first place.

"He doesn't," Frank confirmed, but it didn't erase his need to do some of the little things he would have done for Jamie if he and Mary had been the ones to raise him. And it gave them another reason to spend time together which he was enjoying immensely.

"Well he's fitting in nicely," Linda said as she mixed the corkscrew pasta into her cheese sauce. "The boys love having him around. Jamie came out to the house for dinner last Tuesday in the Chevelle...he marvels over that thing just like Joe did. And you should have seen him helping Jack with his math homework...Danny was thrilled to have someone else take over that chore."

"There's a shocker," Erin chuckled.

"He's really bright _and_ he has your patience, Frank," Linda observed. "If it wasn't for Jamie, Danny would have been banging his head against the table trying to understand and explain the 6th grade math word problems Jack was struggling with that night."

"He's adjusting well all things considered," Frank agreed as he lowered the paper. "Now we just need to get Sherry Riordan locked up so that he can stop worrying about the trial." Jamie tried to hide his feelings on the matter but his father was able to read him easily. It bothered him to have that whole matter hanging over his head. All indications so far pointed to Riordan putting up a fight and the DA was set to take her to trial which would undoubtedly turn into a circus. But Frank's eyes narrowed as he caught the way Erin's face twitched nervously at the mention of the trial. "Something wrong?" he asked her.

Erin's head snapped up in surprise at her father's question. "What?"

"Something's wrong," Frank stated, knowing well when his daughter was conflicted about something. Both Linda and Henry looked on curiously, awaiting Erin's response.

Erin's eyes widened while they all stared back at her but she was smart enough to know she couldn't lie, she just didn't have any real answers right now. "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Frank asked.

Erin placed her knife down on the cutting board and leaned forward against the countertop. "My contact at the Brooklyn DA hasn't been taking my calls the past several days when I've reached out to her for updates."

"And?" Frank pressed, trying to understand what that meant.

"The DA's offices never played nice with each other, but considering the parties involved, I thought they were keeping you apprised of the case," Henry commented.

"They were supposed to...my boss even made nice with his counterpart in Brooklyn as a favor to me to make sure I was kept in the loop."

"And they haven't been doing that," Frank said. "So what are you thinking?"

"I don't know," Erin shrugged, afraid of sharing her suspicions. The DA was pursuing the first degree kidnapping charges that the grand jury indicted Riordan on. It hadn't been difficult for the grand jury to indict her, not with the taped confession, the DNA results and the cooperation from Todd Seitz about his encounter with Riordan and a baby Jamie soon after his kidnapping. They had based their first degree indictment on her intent to coerce Seitz into leaving his wife and then walking away with a pocket full of cash when her plan failed. It might prove more difficult to prove her intent at trial, something that the DA was already concerned about, but they had chosen to proceed with those charges. But knocking down the charge to second degree kidnapping, if Riordan was willing, would open the doors for talks of a reduced sentence between the 5 and 25 years the guidelines imposed for the class B felony. Looking at this as an ADA, she understood the logic in it and would consider the same if it were her case, but she wasn't just an ADA, she was the victim's brother and had been there the day this whole nightmare started. She, like the rest of the family - Jamie included - wanted to see her go away for a very long time, somewhere in the higher range of the 15 to life sentence she would face if convicted on the first degree kidnapping charge.

Frank was not one to normally rely on conjecture, but if anyone could take a good guess as to what may be going on, it would be Erin. "You're an ADA, Erin. What do you suspect is happening?"

Erin gripped the edge of the countertop. She had been hoping to avoid this until she spoke to someone in the Brooklyn DA's office, but at this point she had no other option. "If there's no news coming back to me from the DA...I'm thinking there's talk of a deal."

"What!?" Henry barked, with both Linda and Erin looking through the window to make sure it hadn't drawn anyone's attention outside.

"They can't cut her a deal! Not for what she did!" Henry declared while Frank remained eerily quiet at the table.

"I don't know for sure that they are, grandpa," Erin soothed the irate man.

"But you suspect it and that's as good as knowing," Frank stated quietly.

"How could they be doing that? Her attorney is still talking to the media about her innocence in the actual kidnapping and how she raised him like he was her own which we all know is a bunch of baloney," Linda said.

"Her attorney is a media whore but he's not stupid, he knows a loser case when he sees one. Once he's gotten his mug on TV enough to land the next paying client, he's smart enough to counsel her on the best options available and for her, it would be a plea agreement what with her confession caught on tape. There's no way he can get that thrown out of court and he knows it."

"They can't cut her a deal," Frank said quietly. He preferred to have this go away quietly for Jamie's sake but a big part of him wanted her to go away for at least the same amount of time she had stolen from them.

"They might dad," Erin advised. Ask any of them and Riordan didn't deserve a deal, but this was the sad reality and the DA would not proceed with a trial if the defendant was willing to plead. "She pleads guilty and spares everyone the expense and headache of a trial, they'll offer her something in return."

Frank wasn't naive and he understood how the system worked, but in this case, he didn't like it. "When will we know something?

"I'm going to try and get some answers tomorrow," Erin promised.

Frank nodded. "Well, nothing's confirmed yet. Let's keep this under wraps until you know for sure. No reason to upset anyone else until word comes through."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Jamie's love of running began in his freshman year of high school. Looking for a good reason to stay out as long as possible after school but still too young for an after school job, he was drawn to a number of sports and activities to fill his time but chose cross country that first semester. Cross country at his high school, like at most, wasn't a spectator sport and that was probably part of its appeal. It was an individual sport as much as it was team sport and required minimum equipment - just the pair of reliable running shoes on his feet. The rest came from him. Most people didn't even really know what cross country was about, and maybe he didn't either at first...it was just running, right? But it became more than that. It wasn't a sport that a large number of students went out for, just a dedicated few who became a small family led by a great coach who taught, encouraged and nurtured each of his athletes as if they were his own kids, a reason Jamie enjoyed the sport immensely, looked forward to practice everyday and searched for an equally rewarding activity at the season's end which he found in basketball. He grew to love the track workouts, long runs and tempo runs. He loved running long distances with nothing but the sound of the fall leaves crunching under his feet, sweat streaming down his face and body and a sense of accomplishment that came with each runner he'd pass while thinking of nothing more than his goal of crossing the finish line. Every race was a victory no matter where he placed. And even as a second year police officer, Jamie found himself using a lot of the lessons his cross country coach taught him about running and winning a race while on the job...

Because the stupid criminals always ran.

"Stop!...Police!" Jamie panted in between shallow breaths as he chased his runaway purse snatcher on his own down a less crowded side street in Midtown. He had no idea how far back his partner was or if he was even following. He was too focused on his target and kept his breathing even as the distance between them slowly narrowed until the perp looked back over his shoulder to check his progress. That was when Jamie gave one last burst speed and suddenly he was on top of him, both tumbling to the ground in a heap of writhing arms and legs. Jamie fought to get the upper hand and forced the suspect - who outweighed him by at least forty pounds - under him...damn bastard was quick for his size.

"Hey! Calm down!" Jamie ordered as he threw all of his bodyweight onto the man's back as he tried bucking him off. He glanced back as he fought to control his own breathing to search for his back up, but nothing but gawking passersby surrounded them.

"Let go, pig! I didn't do nothing!" the lying purse-snatcher hissed.

Jamie brought his forearm down on to the man's back as he struggled to pin his right wrist behind his back. The man was putting up such a fight, Jamie had no way to reach for his radio to report his location. "Stop fighting me!" he shouted. "And you nearly took that woman's head off two blocks back! Now quit it!" He and Renzulli had been about thirty feet back and out of view from the thief when it happened - he simultaneously grabbed a purse from an unsuspecting female and took off in a dead run. However, the poor woman had the strap of her purse across her torso; the bag easily snapped off the woman's body, but not before it pulled her forward and onto the ground with no way to protect herself before slamming face first onto the sidewalk.

"No way, man! Let go!"

As Jamie continued to struggle, a repeated clicking sound caught his attention. A winded and sweaty Jamie found himself staring into the lens of a fancy Nikon digital camera. "Hey! Get back! Get that thing away from me!" he instructed as he shoved his perp back onto the grimy sidewalk.

"I have every right to photograph and record what you do on a public street," the photographer replied in between snaps of his shutter. He was more out of breath and winded than the young officer. He had spent the morning following him while on patrol, waiting for the right moment to approach and had been pleased when he'd taken chase after the thief only to curse his luck when the pair had run off, too fast for him to keep up. He'd almost lost them completely until he saw the commotion of the two going down to the ground. "Especially on behalf of your department, Officer Reagan..." he added while glancing at his nameplate, "I suppose it's still Riordan. Is that what you're sticking with?"

"What? Who the hell are you?" Jamie asked before turning back to his perp. "Settle down! You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm not going in! No way!" the thief argued.

"I'm from Citizens for Police Accountability," the photographer answered and stepped around the pair to capture them from a different angle.

"Citizens for what - " Jamie began to question, stopping when he was nearly thrown to the side as the perp managed to get his arms under him for a split second before Jamie got back on top. "Hey!...stop fighting me!" he yelled before turning to the left. "Back off! Who the hell are you?! You're interfering with an arrest!"

"And you're bordering on police brutality, officer! But I guess you're just a chip off the old block, aren't you?!" he snickered.

"Police brutality! Police brutality!" the perp began to yell upon hearing those words. "You catching this, man!? Help!"

Jamie was fighting to bring the struggling man's left arm behind his back when the unexpected question came.

"How do you feel about your mother's sweetheart deal with the DA, Riordan? Looks like she'll be doing minimum time in the joint," the CPA blogger questioned.

Jamie frowned as he was caught completely off guard and turned his attention toward the photographer for a split second. "What?"

But the perp took full advantage of the distraction, partially throwing the officer off of him, enough to spin onto his back and get one quick, right hook off and square into the officer's face. That threw a stunned Jamie completely off of him and onto the ground where the now-free perp got up to his feet to make a final run for it. Unfortunately for him, Sergeant Renzulli had just arrived and witnessed the assault on his partner. Renzulli tackled their perp and got him cuffed more easily as he now lay disoriented after the unexpected takedown.

Jamie got up off the ground and sat on his haunches. He saw that he was no longer on his own as his partner was cuffing their purse snatcher while an RMP rolled to a stop next to them. But he was still unsure of what had transpired in the last few seconds. He reached up to gingerly touch his throbbing cheek and nose and came away with warm blood on his fingertips.

Renzulli yanked the perp on to his feet and handed him off to the first uniform that approached, scowling when he saw a photographer snapping away around his partner. "Hey! Enough with the camera!" he exclaimed while stepping in front of the lens.

"I have rights!" the intrusive photographer argued and snapped a photo of the husky Italian.

"You can have your rights, but from fifty feet in that direction!" Renzulli spat and turned to another officer. "Get him back! Now! And get me a bus!" he ordered, finally turning to kneel before his young partner.

"Jamie? Sorry, kid," he grimaced at the flow of blood from the kid's nose. Renzulli was old-school and reached into one of his pockets for the ever-present handkerchief, handing it over to his partner. "Poor woman was knocked out cold. I had to wait for another unit to arrive."

"S'okay, sarge," Jamie mumbled through the cotton square pressed against his face. "Not your fault."

"Jesus, kid, you're bleeding pretty bad," he commented as the red stain grew larger on his once-crisp white handkerchief.

"I'm fine!" Jamie insisted as he got onto his feet, angry at himself for getting distracted from his job, especially by Sherry.

Renzulli gripped his partner's bicep when he appeared unsteady at first. "Sure you are, kid, and when the medic confirms it, I'll take you back to the precinct...then you're going home."

"Sarge!" Jamie began to argue, but the blood-stained skin under his swelling nose would do little to convince his TO that he was anything but.

"Don't sarge me. You'll be lucky if he didn't break that schnoz of yours," Renzulli remarked, unsure of how often and how hard his partner had been struck since he had arrived just as Jamie was falling to the side. "Jesus...last thing I need is having you get hurt on my watch...again!"

"I said I was fine," Jamie grumbled as he located the smirking photographer further down the sidewalk, his claim more stunning than the punch he took to the face.

* * *

Jamie opened the door to his new apartment surprised to find a concerned Frank Reagan on the other side, although it shouldn't be a surprise...Jamie figured news of any scuffles or incidents on the job involving him or Danny probably had a way of making their way back to 1PP in record time. Still he couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here? Don't you have work to do in the middle of a busy weekday?"

"I heard what happened," Frank stated as he noted Jamie's swollen nose and the light bruising under his eyes while walking through the doorway. It wasn't as bad as expected, having already been shown the photos that the blogger had posted onto his website.

"I'm fine. Not the first time a perp's hit a cop...certainly won't be the last," Jamie remarked as he returned to the living room and slouched back against the new leather couch.

"No, it won't," Frank commented. "Are you alright?" he asked, glancing at the discarded bag of frozen corn that now lay thawing on the coffee table.

"Said I was fine," Jamie sulked, in no mood for company although if anyone knew what was going on with Sherry, it would be his father.

Frank slipped out of his overcoat and took a seat next to his son. "Looked pretty messy in the photos I saw."

"What photos?" Jamie asked, having momentarily forgotten about the almost continuous snaps the stupid photographer had gotten of him earlier.

"Citizens for Police Accountability," Frank scowled. He'd been less than pleased that his son had been stalked by a reporter while on patrol, scared at seeing him hurt and bloodied and pissed as hell that he'd been blindsided with the news that Sherry Riordan's counsel was seeking a plea deal with the DA. It had leaked to the media about an hour before the encounter with the blogger, right about the time Erin had received the news as well.

"Stupid name...what the hell does that even mean?" Jamie griped.

"I don't know...he's an idiot blogger who thinks I'm trying to turn this into some totalitarian state. He already has the photos he took of you this morning on his site," Frank explained.

"Fantastic," Jamie sighed as he rubbed his aching temples.

"He also told you about the plea," Frank said, recalling the taunting commentary about the PC's newly-discovered son being kept in the dark about yet something else.

"Did you know?" Jamie questioned.

"Not exactly," Frank replied.

"What the hell does that mean?!" Jamie snapped, growing angry that he could have kept something like this from him.

Frank could see the controlled anger in his son and almost welcomed it, feeling like it was deserved. "Your sister was worried something was going on, but the Brooklyn DA wasn't telling her anything, partly because he wants to prove that his office wasn't giving this case any special consideration because of her or me." Frank could admit to himself that it irked him to no end in this case, but who was he to voice that out loud when he was always proclaiming to the world that he would not use his position to garner special treatment from anyone? "Erin's been working all morning to find out what's happening but it was leaked just as she was being brought into the loop."

"And?" Jamie asked more calmly, his anger dissipating at the guilt radiating from his father.

"The DA is discussing a plea agreement with her attorney," he confirmed.

"For what? I mean, she's looking at 15 to life."

"We haven't found that out yet, apparently they're still just talking. Her attorney would obviously be going for as little time as possible, but we don't know what the DA is considering yet."

"Well, it was great to hear it from a freaking blogger..."

"I'm sorry about that," Frank apologized.

"Not your fault...I just hate getting blindsided by anything having to do with her, you know?" Jamie vented as he sat forward. "I mean, maybe it's just for the best, let them give her some deal so I don't have to hear about her anymore and I can finally get on with my life!"

"I thought the same thing," Frank admitted. Maybe it would be easier. He and the family had a lot to look forward to with Jamie back in their lives. They didn't need the black cloud that was this criminal trial looming over them. They were looking forward to enjoying their first holidays with him and the last thing Frank wanted was for them to be ruined somehow.

"But?" Jamie asked and rolled his eyes at Frank's questioning look. "I can see it in your eyes...you're not that hard to read, you know," he pointed out.

Frank gave him a tight smile and asked, "So what am I thinking now?"

"You want the book thrown at her," Jamie said and paused to think about that. "So do I, I guess...but if it means putting this behind me sooner and not having to see her again and not having to sit in open court...I just want to get this over with," he stated but could not force himself to meet his father's eyes, out of fear of the disappointment he'd see reflected back at him because if there was one thing he knew about the Reagans so far, it was that they didn't run from difficult situations. "And I'm sorry if that's not the Reagan way and it makes me weak and pathetic - "

"It does no such thing," Frank interrupted, not willing to let Jamie tear himself down for any decisions he made in this regard. "Son, we can't begin to guess what it was like growing up with her or finding out that she'd taken you from us, but I guarantee you that we would all feel the same as you do about this if we were in your shoes. Please don't worry about what anyone else thinks, you just need to do what's right for you." Jamie still wouldn't look at him, but the subtle shake of his head confirmed that he had been heard. "Now, that corn is just about thawed out and isn't going to do you any good," he said while reaching for the bag of kernels that sat in a growing puddle of condensation. "Let's see if we can find you some peas in the freezer."

"I hate peas," Jamie grumped as he let himself fall back on the couch.

"Good to know," Frank smirked and headed to the kitchen to see what else he could find.

* * *

 _So that was a rude way for poor Jamie to hear that news, but it won't be long before we know the results of the plea talks as we get closer to the end._


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Jamie parked the Chevelle along the curb in front of the family home; Danny had asked him to meet him and the boys there, but had been cryptic on the reason for the drive out to Bay Ridge. He was heading up the steps of his father's house when he heard three easily recognizable voices from the side of the house. He detoured to the right to find Danny and the boys huddled around something in the garage that once housed his car.

"Hey!" Jamie called out as he made his way over to join them.

"Hey yourself," Danny replied while the boys greeted their uncle and the three parted to reveal a green soap box car.

"What are you guys up to?" Jamie asked as he stepped into the garage, intrigued by the gravity racer.

"Getting Sean ready for the spring derby," Danny advised while ruffling hi youngest's hair.

"Derby?"

"Bay Ridge Derby," Jack clarified and jumped into the same car he'd helped his dad build.

"It's a soap box race, it's awesome," Sean added.

"We're talking about a serious family tradition, kid...Dad won, I won, Joe won, Jack won. And we've had this rivalry going with the Bonniellos for decades," Danny boasted.

Jamie was struck by the same flicker of sadness he'd feel each time he learned about something else he'd missed out on, but he vowed to think positive, making new memories with his family and becoming part of each tradition they shared with him. "Who are the Bonniellos?"

"A family of good for nothing smoke eaters that live nearby," Danny grumbled. "We've been battling them in these races since dad was a kid...I think gramps might have had a beef with old Salvatore Bonniello even before dad ran in the derby, but I'm not really sure what that's about," he said as he pushed Jack and the car out into the driveway. "The year I raced, I beat Larry Bonniello by a mile. Of course, that junior hose jockey cried foul and said that I took a rolling start...sore loser," he snickered.

"Sounds like good times," Jamie smiled, thinking that it must have been something to race one of these down a hill.

"It's the best. No Reagan has ever lost a derby," Danny stated.

"No pressure there, Sean," Jamie kidded with a nudge at his youngest nephew's arm.

"Yeah, so this will be his chance to carry on the Reagan Family Dynasty," Danny said.

"You gonna come, Uncle Jamie?" Sean asked.

"Oh, this I've got to see. I'll be there, bud, just tell me when and where," he promised.

"The race will epic. The Reagans and Bonniellos going at it on the hill again, just like old times."

"So I guess they got a kid running it next year too?" Jamie questioned as he inspected the soap box.

Sean didn't understand the history between the families; he was just looking forward to racing with his buddy as opposed to against him like his father and grandfather preferred. "Yeah, my friend, Ethan."

"You're too old to register, Jamie, but it's not too late to join in the tradition and help us with getting Sean here ready for the race."

Jamie nodded, ready to join the pit crew. "Cool. So is this his car?"

"This was Jack's, but Sean wants to build his own just like we did with Jack," Danny answered. "But we'll use this one to start practicing while we work on the new one. Already ordered the kit off the internet."

"Yeah, so we're going to head to the park after lunch for a couple of runs down the hill," Sean advised.

"Sounds like fun," Jamie commented.

"Pizza's here," Henry announced as he joined the boys outside while carrying a few pizza boxes over to the patio table.

"Right on time," Danny grinned as the boys ran past him and made a beeline for their lunch.

"Hey, Jamie. I didn't know you were here already."

"Hey, grandpa...came right out back when I saw them out here," he replied.

Danny rubbed his hands together as he eyed a still-closed pizza box, the boys already having torn several slices of the pepperoni pizza from the larger box. "Did you get me my pie, pops?"

"Yeah, I got it," Henry said with a shake of his head. "I don't know why you made me get you a whole pie, you're the only one that can stand to eat that crazy combination."

"I gotta take advantage that Linda's not here! Plus, Jamie can have some."

"What's on it?" Jamie asked and waited before plucking a slice of pepperoni for himself.

"Bacon, ham, pepperoni, jalapenos and olives," Danny said as he lifted the lid to reveal his favorite, but seldom enjoyed pie.

"Yuck, dad," Jack muttered around a mouthful of pizza.

"I think he's got all his pork products covered," Henry commented.

Jamie grabbed a slice of pepperoni like he had intended. "Ugh...no. I'll pass," he grimaced.

"It's good!" Danny declared before stuffing a third of the hefty slice into his mouth.

"I might have been willing to try it if you hadn't said olives," Jamie said.

"They're good too," Danny declared and took a seat in front of his pizza.

"I'm allergic," Jamie announced.

"More for me," Danny grunted.

"How bad?" Henry worried, making a mental note to be mindful of that in the future.

"I turn into a giant hive," Jamie quipped as he enjoyed his lunch.

"That's good to know," Henry said.

"Prove it!" Danny exclaimed and held his pizza out in front of his brother's face. "Take a bite!"

"Daniel," Henry warned.

"Just kidding," Danny laughed and shoved the last of his first slice into his mouth. "Anything else we need to worry about with you, buttercup?" he teased.

"Nothing but my jump shot that you can't seem to beat," Jamie touted.

"Shut it...remind me to take you to the range," Danny grumbled, certain he could whip his kid brother in a little friendly bout of target practice.

"Jamie, do you have parade duty this year?" Henry asked, turning to more important things like the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. It was still weeks away, but this one would be special and Henry was already planning his best meal yet to celebrate his grandson's return.

"Yeah, I do. Second year straight...Sarge loves parade detail."

"Why?" Henry asked. That was one tour he always looked to get out of, much preferring to spend the whole day at home with his family...it was his favorite holiday after all. Football, food and family...what else did anyone need?

"Something about shooting down runaway balloons," Jamie shrugged, remembering that his partner found amusement in the oddest things.

"What time does tour end?"

"1500."

"Perfect!" Henry proclaimed as the other continued to chow down, oblivious to his holiday plans. "That should have you home in time for dinner, we like to eat at 4pm."

"Okay. Anything you need me to do?"

"We'll think of something," Danny chimed in.

"Just get your keister home as soon as tour ends," Henry ordered.

* * *

Jamie looked up as the elevator doors opened onto the fourteenth floor of 1PP. This was his first time coming up to the top floor, only having gone so far as visiting HR on the lower level on a few occasions before he ever knew he had a personal connection to the commissioner. And even when he was in the building earlier in the week to submit the required forms to get his name officially changed to Jameson Reagan with the department, he hadn't bothered coming up here either, figuring that the commissioner was probably too busy for surprise visits. He had to ignore the curious stares from the HR clerk processing his forms and he assumed there would only be more of the same if he went up to his father's office considering the initial reaction he'd received at his own house. Luckily, things back at the precinct were slowly getting back to normal after proving to everyone that he was still the same person he was before...he just knew who his real family was now and would soon go by a different name.

But tonight, he'd been invited up by his father so that they could decide on a place in the area for dinner. Jamie took a tentative step out of the elevator as his eyes roamed across the open floor. It was late and most of the office workers had gone home for the night except for a select few who never left the office before their boss. One of them was Detective Baker who'd recognized the commissioner's youngest son as soon as the doors opened. "Officer Reagan?" she said warmly as she approached.

"Yes," Jamie replied politely at the blond, who despite the late hour appeared as fresh and alert as if she were just starting her day.

"I'm Detective Abigail Baker. It's nice to finally meet you. The commissioner has told me a lot about you," she said.

"Its nice to meet you too, detective. Hopefully it's all been good," he replied shyly.

"Of course," Baker smiled. "He's waiting for you in his office. You can go right on in," she said as she led him toward the closed door to the commissioner's office.

Jamie looked around curiously, noticing the large, darkened conference room to the left before nodding a hello at Detective Nuciforo occupying a desk in the back; of the commissioner's detail, he seemed to be the ever-present shadow whenever his father left the safe confines of the office. "Thanks," he said as he walked past Detective Baker and through the now-open the door. "Hey," Jamie greeted.

Frank's head snapped up from his paperwork and he smiled. "Hey, come in," he said as he stood from his desk.

Jamie let out a low whistle as he took in the rich decor of the large office and the view out onto the twinkling city lights. "Nice digs," he smirked.

Frank's smile widened. "It's not bad," he agreed.

"I bet most people don't like getting called up here," Jamie commented as he walked over to the nearest window. "I don't think I would have before this."

Frank came up alongside him and stared out into the night. "Well, I have heard that it's often been compared to the principal's office and considering some of the people I have to deal with in here, it's an appropriate description."

"Fancy principal's office..." Jamie quipped.

Frank grinned while stepping over to the cabinet where he kept a bottle of scotch stored away for after hour meetings. "You want a drink?" he offered.

"I thought we were going out to grab a bite?" Jamie countered. He didn't realize that they would be sticking around the office.

"We will, but your sister should be up any minute."

"Erin's coming too?" he questioned, not realizing she would be joining them until he suddenly got the feeling that there was a specific reason for the dinner invite and his expression went from pleasantly surprised to concerned. "Oh, so that's why you asked me up here last minute. This is it...they did it. She got a deal?"

Frank turned away from the cabinet and faced Jamie. "I had already called you about dinner when she called, but it does seem that way. Erin didn't say much over the phone, only that she wanted us to hear it from her first before it's announced tomorrow."

"Okay," Jamie exhaled as a million thoughts ran through his mind, but voiced the opinion he'd convinced himself was best for all of them. "Well, that's good...she can go away somewhere and we can finally be done with this."

Frank could hear the waiver in his voice. Jamie desperately wanted to put this behind him but he also wanted to see Sherry Riordan get what she deserved...what that was he wasn't sure. But he didn't have a chance to reply because a soft knock announced Erin's arrival. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, guys," Erin said with a slight edge to her voice, looking nervously between her father and brother as she kissed and hugged them hello, holding onto Jamie a few seconds longer than she intended to. Erin seemed to be delaying the inevitable as she then silently shrugged out of her coat and took a seat on the far end of the couch. Jamie and Frank followed suit and joined her in the seating area but still she did nothing but sit there with a nervous expression.

It was killing Frank. "So? Don't keep us waiting," he urged her.

Erin took a deep breath and laid it all out for them. "The prosecutor called me about an hour ago. He agrees that she's deserving of the first degree kidnapping charge she was indicted on, but proving her intent to coerce Seitz into engaging, or refrain from engaging in any particular conduct as the case may be, would be difficult considering the fact that he basically laughed in her face when she presented him with Jamie. Her attorney is ready to argue that she took Jamie because of a momentary lapse in judgment to fill a void in her life born after suffering a miscarriage and from a history of depression and abuse endured while growing up. And Seitz was the one that offered her the money to send her far away from him, she never asked him for a dime according to his statement."

"So what does that mean? What did they agree to?" Frank asked.

"A charge bargain...she pleads guilty to second degree kidnapping and goes before the judge for sentencing."

"What's she looking at for that?" Jamie questioned.

"The sentencing terms for that is 5 to 25 years."

"She could do as little as 5 years for what she did," Jamie worried and began to question his hopes for a plea.

"It's possible, I won't lie, but we got a good judge in the case. Judge Block is a tough-as-nails judge and he's been known to reject sweetheart deals between the DA's office and defense attorneys if it sends the wrong message, especially with crimes involving kids."

"So he can still throw the book at her?" Jamie asked.

"She could still go away for 25 years."

"That would be ironic...giving her the same amount of time she took from us," Jamie scoffed.

"The DA and the defense will submit pre-sentencing memos and recommend time at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the chances that she'd get the maximum with a plea is unlikely. I'm sure she'll beg for mercy, claim she's finally seen the error of her ways and raised and fine and upstanding member of the community and try to take credit for the person you became," Erin said, the latter leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

"Not because of her," Jamie whispered, accepting the fact it was all truly out of their hands now.

* * *

 _We're moving really fast here at the end...next, we find out about Sherry's fate as the family gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving together._

 _A million thanks to all who review! Nothing better than hearing what you all think! :D_


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"I can't believe this day has come...and before Thanksgiving too, we can celebrate without worrying about her anymore," Henry commented as he fidgeted in the first wooden pew behind the prosecutor's table of Judge Block's courtroom. It was three days before Thanksgiving and the family was still surprised that Sherry Riordan's sentencing hearing had been squeezed onto the docket before the holidays.

"Neither can I, pops. I hope the judge throws the book at her," Danny said, equally restless as he stressed over the length of the sentence the judge would pass.

Erin sat between her father and grandfather and while the older man to her right had yet to sit still since they'd arrived, her father sat ramrod straight on her left, barely moving an inch. "You alright, dad?" she asked, never feeling more nervous in a courtroom than she did right now. She had managed not to budge in her seat either but she had not been able to keep from continuously wringing her hands together in her lap.

"I'm fine," Frank answered quietly as he contemplated their lives over the last quarter of a decade.

Erin smiled sympathetically but didn't believe a word he said, choosing not to argue. "Are you going to see Jamie after this?" she asked instead. Jamie had chosen not to be here for reasons they all understood. He made the decision that he wanted nothing more to do with Sherry Riordan and aside from getting the occasional updates on the case so that he wasn't ambushed with any new developments by tabloid bloggers, he was sticking to that decision. There was no reason for him to see her, not when he was working to move on with his life and her punishment was completely out of his hands.

"I am," Frank replied as he turned to meet his daughter's eyes. "He had something to do this morning that was more important than this," he advised, knowing exactly where to meet his youngest son later. "I'll deliver the news when this is done."

Before Erin could inquire on what her brother was doing this morning, the double doors in the back of the courtroom swung inward and an orange jumpsuit-clad Sherry Riordan shuffled down the aisle, her wrists shackled to her ankles while flanked by two corrections officers as her attorney followed behind. She stared straight ahead as she was led to the defense table, almost afraid of whom she would find sitting in the gallery.

"Good God, I can't believe that's really her," Henry whispered. He was the last of the family present in the courtroom to see her in person, both Frank and Danny having come face to face with her in Buffalo and Erin had, of course, attended all of the court dates in the case. Aside from her new daily attire and her hair having been pulled back into a tight bun, she looked no different than that day when Jamie had gotten her to confess to her crime, her expression was just as cold and bleak, which according to Jamie was the norm for her; she had never been a happy person. "It's unbelievable that one person could be the cause of so much grief," he said as his angry eyes shot daggers at the back of her head.

"We'll all be glad when she's locked up," Danny hissed through gritted teeth as he too glared at the defendant.

"All rise," the bailiff instructed everyone in the courtroom which was almost at capacity. Although the courtroom was open to the media and the public, all curious for the last piece to this dramatic news story involving the city's top cop, Judge Block had instructed his officers to strictly limit the number allowed in to view the proceedings; he wasn't about to let anyone turn his courtroom into a circus. The gray-haired judge took his seat on the bench, running through standard formalities first as he read out the style of the case and confirmed the parties that were present before proceeding. "Sherry Riordan, how do you plead to the count of kidnapping in the second degree?"

Sherry Riordan stood from her seat after a whispered instruction from her attorney. "Guilty, Your Honor," she answered in a meek and pitiful voice before retaking her seat. It was very different than the vicious tone she had used with Jamie in Buffalo.

"The record will reflect that the Defendant has entered a plea of guilty to the offense of kidnapping in the second degree per the charge bargain submitted to the court at the plea hearing. Both the District Attorney and the defense have submitted pre-sentencing memos which the court will take into consideration. I have also received victim impact statements from Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan, Detective Daniel Reagan, Former Police Commissioner Henry Reagan and Current Police Commissioner Francis Reagan. Counselors, have you been provided with copies of same?" Judge Block asked as he shuffled through the referenced documents.

"Yes, Your Honor," came the simultaneous reply from the attorneys.

"Mr. Frankel, you have submitted a psychological evaluation by Dr. Deborah Carr on the defendant's behalf for the court's consideration?"

"Yes, sir," the defense attorney responded.

"Mr. Lyles, have you been provided with the same psychological evaluation?"

The Brooklyn DA stood quickly as he responded. "Yes, Your Honor."

"Very well. Mr. Frankel, is there anything you would like to present by way of testimony or witness statements before we proceed with sentencing?" the judge asked.

"My client wishes to make a statement, Your Honor, after which I have a few words for the court to consider," Frankel advised the court.

"Very well," the judge said as he sat back in his chair and eyed the defendant. "Ms. Riordan, I advise you of your right of allocution, that is your right to make a statement for the court's consideration before passing sentence," he said.

Prompted again by her counsel, Sherry nodded and quietly went to her feet again. She turned three quarters of the way and folded her hands solemnly in front of her, facing the Reagan Family but only managing to look at them for a nano-second, unable to take the multitude of emotions being directed her way through four pairs of very expressive eyes. She was equally shocked and relieved when she noted Jimmy's absence. Sherry Riordan had never had to face the consequences of her actions as she was always able to slither out of trouble and she was finding her current situation a hard one deal with. "I'm here today to make right a mistake I made long ago at a very difficult point in my life," she began in a trembling voice laden with practiced remorse while again forcing herself to make eye contact with the family just as her attorney had suggested. "I am so sorry for what I did to you...to all of you. It wasn't my intention to hurt anybody. I was alone and in a very dark place at that time and I just wanted a family of my own, like the happy others I saw at the park that day. I don't know what came over me and I acted without thinking and failed to use good judgment. I was wrong to do what I did, I know that but I was unable to let him go. I did my best to raise Jameson and he grew up into a fine young man. I wish I could do more to give you back the time you lost with him. All I can ask is that you forgive me and that the court have mercy on me." Sherry quickly dropped down into her chair, relieved to have gotten most of the words out and tired of the lie she had lived most of her life. And even though she knew it was a long shot that it would have any effect on the judge's decision. She truly was remorseful, unfortunately the remorse she felt was for the trouble it landed her in now more than anything else.

Frank remained expressionless throughout Riordan's scripted plea, easily schooling his features from decades of practice in his chosen professions. The other three Reagans made less of an attempt to hide their contempt for the woman, all seemingly ready to throttle her if given the chance.

"Mr. Frankel?" Judge Block prompted.

Sherry's attorney stood and stepped over the podium to address the court. "Just a few words, Your Honor. Ms. Riordan is here today because she has accepted full responsibility and expressed sincere remorse for her actions. She showed poor judgment 25 years ago when she was not even that old. She was severely distraught over a miscarriage which compounded her emotional instability from a childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse, the effects of which she still suffers from today as corroborated by Dr. Carr's report. It's not an excuse for what she did, Your Honor, but she was young and alone during a difficult time and made the extremely poor choice of thinking that someone else's child could fill a vast void in her own life, but never was there any intent to bring harm to the child. She did her best to be a single mother to Jameson Reagan, not without some hiccups along the way, but she raised him into the fine young man he is today - a hard-working NYPD officer with a promising career ahead of him. We pray that the court would consider these factors in determining Ms. Riordan's sentence today. Thank you, Your Honor."

"Un-freakin-believable," Danny hissed quietly as his grandfather read his mind.

"She had no part in making him who he is today," Henry whispered.

"It's okay, pop," Frank soothed the irate man.

"Mr. Lyles, do you have anything to add for the state?"

"Your Honor, we have a family member that would like to make a statement as to witness impact. The victim's father, Police Commissioner Francis Reagan," the DA advised.

"I'll allow it...Commissioner Reagan."

There were a few murmured whispers from the back as Frank stood and proceeded quietly to the podium, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "Your Honor, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. As noted before, I have submitted a written statement for your consideration, but I'm not here to speak on my behalf but on behalf of my late wife - my son Jamie's mother, Mary - and his late brother Joe." Sherry looked on nervously, accepting the fact that her pleas for leniency would most certainly be negated by anything Frank Reagan was about to say and she slouched back into her chair in defeat before he even uttered another word, missing the moment that Frank turned to address her directly. "Mary and Joe passed well before their time and didn't live to see the day we learned Jamie was alive and well...they didn't have a chance to see the fine young man he grew to be...a good, honest man with strong morales and work ethic, full of hope for his future in spite the life he had with you. My wife Mary passed away still feeling responsible for Jamie's disappearance, feeling like a failure as a mother because she did not keep him safe that day in the park...she was never the same after that day, her heart broken into a million pieces from losing her youngest child...and while Jamie was not planned, he was a blessing in our lives... a cherished, loved and welcomed addition to our family. Mary always blamed herself for what you did because that's what a real mother does, she worries and takes on responsibility for everything having to do with her child. That first year with Jamie's birthday and no way to know if he was even alive to turn a year old was the toughest for her...but in reality, it's impossible to say it really ever got any easier...year after year, his birthday was a stinging reminder that our son was gone with no way to celebrate it...the only thing that got us through were our three older children and our faith. And I thank god for both those things, because without them, I'm not sure I would be here today."

Frank looked stared off into the distance, clenching his jaw several times before he could continue. "And my middle son Joe...he died with self-imposed guilt over pulling his mother away from his baby brother that day. It was a guilt he carried from the age of 6. It's remarkable, isn;t it? That even at that age, he displayed what you could not, at least not until your hand was forced, your crime revealed to the world and not until you had no other options left." Frank paused for a few moments, the courtroom deathly silent as everyone waited for him to say more. "My father, my daughter, my eldest son and I, we lost 25 years of Jamie's life, his formative years filled with countless milestones that we can never regain, but we will cherish every moment that we have with him from this day forward. But Mary and Joe? They had 6 months with him...6 months...a small fraction of the 17 and 21 years they would have had with Jamie had you not taken him from us. Their only memory of Jamie was of the happy, healthy baby they thought they had a lifetime to know and love. If you were to ask them - ask any other member of my family - on what a fair and just sentence would be for what you stole from us...well, the guidelines wouldn't allow for what we think is just. All we can ask now is that you serve a sentence equal to the time you took some us. It won't make right what you made so God-awful, nothing ever will, but it's all we can ask for. And I assure you, Jamie is not the man he is today because of anything you did for him, but out of his own sheer will to be a better person than the example you set for him," Frank concluded with one last hard look at Sherry Riordan before turning to the judge. "Thank you, Your Honor."

The courtroom remained quiet as Frank returned to his seat, Erin reaching out to grasp his hand as she fought to hold back her tears at hearing her father speak on behalf of her mother and brother. Henry and Danny did the same as they thought of the two family members who could not speak for themselves today.

"Mr. Lyles, anything else?"

The Brooklyn DA didn't think anything else needed to be said, but considering that he was prepared to speak anyway, he replaced Frank Reagan at the podium while choosing to cut his statement short. "Your Honor, on August 19, 1988, six month old Jameson Reagan disappeared from a Brooklyn park while with his mother, sister and two older brothers. At a trial, the state's evidence would prove that Jameson's kidnapping was the sole act of the Defendant, Sherry Riordan, for the purpose of instantly fulfilling her desire for a family despite the fact that she knowingly committed a crime, fled the city with the infant and returned to her hometown of Buffalo where she claimed him as her own, secured false documents for him and proceeded to seek all forms of the government assistance which benefited her as much as it did the child. Sherry Riordan always knew what she did was wrong and has only admitted to this crime because she was caught in her lie and had no other recourse. She is receiving the benefit of the lesser charge with the lesser sentence you must consider today, but she should not be allowed to leave this courtroom with anything less than the maximum sentence allowed for her crime."

Lyles took his seat and a hushed silence filled the courtroom as Judge Block reviewed a file. "Will the Defendant please rise," he instructed while removing his reading glasses and waited until Sherry and her counselor stood.

The Reagans sat a little straighter in their seats as the judge prepared to finally pass his sentence.

"Ms. Riordan, Your kidnapping of Jameson Reagan was a crime of selfishness, one in which a grown woman thought that taking a child from another family would cure all that was wrong with her own life. You inflicted the worst kind of pain on the family. And in this case, even with a so-called 'momentary lapse in judgment', there is no doubt that the coverage allotted to the search for Jameson Reagan should have triggered some sort of awakening and desire to make right what you made wrong long before now, but instead you fled and hid in another city, playing someone else's child off as your own and there is not excuse for that...for any of it. Ms. Riordan, you have received the benefit of the charge bargain and the reduced guidelines that come from the second degree charge of kidnapping you plead guilty to. It is for that reason that I sentence you to the maximum of 25 years in prison which is, sadly, as Commissioner Reagan mentioned, the length of time that the child and now grown young man was separated from his family. You are to be remanded to the New York State Department of Corrections immediately," he finished with a swift bang of his gavel as he stood to leave. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

 _There it is, she got the maximum. You didn't think I'd give her anything less, did you?_

 _Next, Frank meets up with Jamie to deliver the news._


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Jamie stood alone in front of his mother and Joe's graves, watching as the cool breeze off the East River rustled through the delicate petals of the flowers he'd laid at the base of each. He'd approached slowly after he arrived, feeling like some outsider intruding on two strangers' final resting places, but his stomach had tightened when he saw their names carved in stone. Up until then, Mary Margaret Reagan and Joseph Connor Reagan were these perfect, fictional characters his family desperately wanted him to know - that _he_ desperately wanted to know - through the countless stories and photographs they shared with him. But it was still difficult for them to feel real to Jamie when those shared memories barely included him, a feeling he was working to quash as he often felt like the foreigner still trying to learn the customs and habits of his new family.

Now that he was here, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do...talk to them? And what could he say?... _wish I could have met you...wish that woman never would have crossed our paths so that you could be more to me than someone else's memories._ Jamie fisted his hands in his pockets at the thought of _her_. So much had been lost, so much pain inflicted on them, all because of one senseless and egotistical act. It was because of her that he was here looking for another connection to his family. He didn't know if he would ever feel like he'd know who Joe and his mother really were. Jamie wasn't sure what he believed about the after life, but as the breeze kicked up he wondered if they were watching, if Joe was happy that he had the Chevelle now...if he thought he was taking good care of her like he had. And his mother? Would she have been happy that he became a cop like his brothers, father and grandfather? Would she have wanted something else for him?

"Mind if I join you?" came the soft question.

Jamie startled and turned to look behind him, having been oblivious to the sound of mammoth SUV parked behind the Chevelle or the crunching of fall leaves as his father crossed the lawn. "Not at all," he said with a shake of his head as he turned back toward the graves, the sight of his mother's name evoking memories the first photo he ever saw of her, the one of her holding him as an infant. "Been here a while already. It's real peaceful out here," he commented.

Frank stepped alongside him, his own stomach twisting at the sight of their graves as it always did. "Yes it is. You can find a strange kind of comfort out here," he said quietly as he thought of the countless times he'd stood in this very spot speaking to his wife and son.

They were quiet for several moments, until curiosity won out and Jamie suddenly needed to know the outcome of the sentencing hearing. "So?" he asked as he faced forward and braced himself for the answer.

Frank pressed his lips into a tight line as he took in some of the fresh Brooklyn air. "The judge gave her the full 25," he reported while turning his head to gauge Jamie's reaction. He could swear he saw relief flash across Jamie's features as he continued to stare ahead.

"That's good," Jamie stated after clearing his throat. He'd been too much of a coward to go himself, falling on his claim that he was leaving her in the past. Truth was, seeing her face brought too many painful memories to the surface. Yet, he still wondered if this had changed her in any way. "Did she say anything?" he asked.

Frank read his mind, knowing his real question - whether Sherry Riordan was actually sorry for what she had done. "She did, but nothing you wouldn't expect," Frank said to lessen the blow. It seemed that his youngest hoped that there was some shred of decency in all people, even if they were too far gone to save.

Jamie nodded, understanding the underlying answer. "That's it then," he remarked with an inkling of disappointment and acceptance.

"You okay?"

Jamie turned to face his father, squinting into the wind that blew across the cemetery as he glanced at the New York City skyline behind him. No matter how many times he saw it, it always gave him the same feeling he'd had on that very first bus ride over from Buffalo: hope and promise for something better. "Yeah. I am. I'm ready to leave her behind...I don't want to think about her or what she did anymore, but that seems impossible when I'm still learning new things about all of you. I love hearing all of the family stories, but it's kind of bittersweet too...makes me think of everything I've missed. It's something I have to work past."

"I understand," Frank said with a sympathetic look, but a thought struck him about Jamie's reference to the things he'd missed out on; it reminded him of something he'd said once before. "Are you happy doing what you're doing?"

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked with some confusion.

"Being a cop," Frank clarified. A large part of him still searched for a way to right Sherry's wrong and he had an idea he wanted to run by Jamie. "You once told us that you considered being a lawyer. If it hadn't been about the money - if the cost hadn't stopped you - would you have gone to law school?"

Jamie was surprised by the question. "I don't know," he answered as he thought back to that time before graduation when he began to plan a way to get far away from Buffalo. He had explored a few other career possibilities based on his interests, but overall he wanted to make a difference with whatever he chose to do in life. He had entertained the idea of becoming an attorney for a short while because he could do some good that way, maybe work for Legal Aid and help people who had no other means like him and Sherry. But now, after being on the job for almost two years, the thought of being an attorney felt like nothing more than one of the many options he'd considered just to be certain of his first choice - to become a police officer - especially since he had Sherry voicing her very strong disapproval of his preferred career. He supposed that anything could have been possible if he hadn't been limited financially or if he'd grown up in a different environment, but the excessive cost was an easy way to shelf that idea.

"Because it's never too late, you know?" Frank said, hoping to encourage him to follow any path he'd been unable to take in life because of his situation.

"What? Quit being a cop and go back to school?" he laughed as he understood what his father was proposing.

"I'd help you with it," Frank offered. "Your mom and I would have - as much as we could anyway - if none of this had happened and we raised you."

Jamie was stunned into silence for several moments, feeling like he'd already done enough for him and now he wanted to put him through law school? He was suddenly overwhelmed as he wondered again what life would have been like growing up with him and the rest of the family. He swallowed thickly at the offer, but shook his head because the thought of not putting the uniform on everyday made him sure of one thing. "Dad...I like the life. And if everything that happened with Sherry is what brought me to it, so be it," he said in all sincerity. "But it's probably where I would have ended up anyway, right?" he offered with a small smile. It seemed that was the Reagan way, at least for all of the males in the family.

Frank got choked up at the way Jamie addressed him and quickly continued onto other topics before he got too emotional. "Then there's nothing more we can do now but make some new memories together," he said, smiling as their first fishing outing came to mind, evidenced by the new photograph he had sitting on his desk at the office. "Which we've already begun to do and we'll keep doing with the holidays coming up...and you already got roped into training Sean for his first trip down the hill in the derby...and have I told you about the camping trip?" he asked on a lighter note, prattling off just a few of the family events and gatherings they had to look forward to in the near future.

"What camping trip?" Jamie asked. He hadn't heard about any campaign trip.

Frank's mustache stretched out into a big smile. "The annual manly men Reagan family camping trip."

Jamie gave his father a questioning look. "You're kidding."

"It's a right of passage...open to all Reagan men ages 12 and up. Danny's boys got a few years yet, but you'll make it a foursome in the spring. Three days, two nights out in the wilderness. It's an experience," Frank touted. "You'll have to be careful though."

"What? Why? Is it some sort of extreme camping?" he laughed nervously, wondering what about the trip could involve the need to be overly cautious until he thought about the possible wildlife they could encounter...he'd never been camping, so it would all be new to him.

Frank saw his confusion turn to concern and smirked. "Oh, don't worry, not from what you're probably thinking. Just don't believe everything your brother and grandfather tell you. Did you know that the first time Joe went camping with us, Danny told him the campsite was filled with deadly snakes? Joe slept with one eye open the first night of the trip."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Fantastic," he sighed as he worried about the hazing he'd have to endure from his brother.

"And if you were 12 and it was your first trip, Pop would tell you we'd be killing a bear and roasting it over an open fire. As for Danny, I'm sure he'll make you do most of the heavy lifting and set-up while he supervises."

"Looking forward to it already," Jamie deadpanned with a shake of his head, although it was the truth. "Want to hear something strange?" he asked on a more serious note as he considered the many things they had to look forward to together...it was something he'd been thinking about a lot lately.

"What's that?" Frank asked.

"Getting shot in that armed robbery, it was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said which earned him a puzzled look from his father who had never met anyone grateful to have gotten shot. "I wouldn't be here, with any of you or know who I really was if it wasn't for that," Jamie explained. "I mean, what are the chances you would have ever laid eyes on me if you hadn't come by the hospital that day?" he wondered. "You got 35,000 cops and will only ever meet a small fraction of them face to face."

Frank's brow crinkled as he considered the question, agreeing that the stars had strangely aligned so that he had to cross paths with his son. "I can't say that I'm grateful that you got shot, but God does work in mysterious ways," he conceded.

They quietly stood together for a few minutes before Jamie spoke again. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?" Frank puzzled.

"For going with your gut that day...for not giving up on me and letting me figure things out. I know I didn't make it easy at at first," Jaime said.

Frank pursed his lips at the lump that formed in his throat. "I would never give up on you...you're my son," he rasped as he reached out to gently cup Jamie's neck before embracing him in a much-needed and long-overdue hug.

Jamie wouldn't have felt comfortable initiating the act, but didn't hesitate to return the hug as his arms wrapped as far around his father's broad back as they could and said the words he never thought he'd say in his lifetime. "I love you, dad." No one had done so much for him in all of his lifetime as Frank Reagan had done in the past several months.

"I love you too, Jamie," Frank croaked as he kept hold of his baby boy.

They each wiped the moisture from their eyes when they finally separated, inhaling deeply after the overwhelming emotions that consumed them each.

"Well," Frank exhaled, "unless you need some more time, your grandpa's back at the house with Danny and Erin throwing together a late lunch for all of us."

Jamie looked to the gravestones and nodded, silently promising his mother and brother that he would come back soon. "I'm ready."

"Why don't you go ahead. I'll meet you there," Frank said, continuing when Jamie gave him a look. "I just need a minute."

Understanding crossed Jamie's expression. "I'll see you at home," he said and turned to give his father some privacy.

Frank watched Jamie pull away in the old Chevelle before turning to his beloved wife and middle son. "He's home," he said with a watery smile. "I started to believe I'd never see the day after we lost you both...He's such a good young man too...you both would have been so proud, in fact, I'm sure you are. I promise you we'll do everything we can to make sure he knows you both and how much you loved him too." Frank took a step forward and gently laid a hand on each headstone, promising to come back soon just as Jamie had.

* * *

 _Final chapter up tomorrow!_


	35. Chapter 35

_Last chapter! Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed, followed and favorited this story...it was sometimes a blast and sometimes difficult to write. Thank you again to Whumpqueen for letting me play with this idea!_

 _I have some thoughts for a sequel to this story, but it's nothing more than some vague ideas that need to be fleshed out. I'm leaning toward some of that brotherly strife we saw in season 1...Danny might feel the need to teach his brother all that he knows in an effort to protect him while Jamie might start finding that being a member of a large family is sometimes overwhelming considering how he was raised. At least that's the plan for now...we'll see! :)_

Chapter 35

"Just our luck we get stuck making an arrest a half hour before the end of tour," Jamie griped as he tucked his button-down shirt into his pants while both he and Renzulli hurried to dress and leave the precinct locker room.

"The crazies don't curb their wackadoodle ways because we got our dinners to get home to," Renzulli remarked while shoving his dirty uniform into his bag, coming to a stop when a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of which, I forgot this is gonna be your first Thanksgiving with your family."

"Yeah," Jamie smiled as he buckled his belt. It was still strange to have a place to call home and people to call family, but he was really looking forward to today. He'd been over to his father's house for many Sunday dinners with the family already, but he knew today would be different...special.

"So let me ask you," Renzulli began as he closed his locker door and turned toward his partner, "last year when I was going on and on, trying to get you to tell me your holiday plans, did you really have a turkey dinner to go back to in Buffalo?" he had a feeling that the kid had been lying to him just to get him off his back and everything he'd learned about the Riordan woman made him more certain he had not told him the truth about his holiday plans.

"The truth?" Jamie replied with sheepish expression.

"What do you think, kid?" Renzulli sighed, knowing he was right from the look he was getting.

"Truth is I did go home...to Buffalo," Jamie answered and continued after Renzulli shot him a look of confusion, "but not because Sherry had a dinner prepped with all the trimmings."

"Then why'd you go?" Renzulli questioned.

Jamie laid his leather jacket on top of his bag before closing his own locker door. "I hadn't been back there in a year and a half, since I left for the academy," he explained. "I guess all your talk of family made me want to try and see if there was something there, if she'd missed me."

"Oh...sorry kid," Renzulli said as he led them both out of the locker room and out of the precinct. "I'm betting the reception you got wasn't what you were going for."

"I spent more time on the bus than I did in Buffalo," Jamie confirmed.

"It's a 180 this year, huh?" Renzulli smiled. "Good for you, kid. You deserve it. Now get outta here before you're late and the commissioner is booting me down to records for keeping you past EOT," he ordered with a pat of his back as they reached the bottom of the precinct steps.

"Alright, sarge. Happy Thanksgiving," Jamie smiled.

"You too, kid."

* * *

"Hey!" Jamie called out as he closed the front door behind him while balancing a bakery box in one hand.

"Finally!" Danny exclaimed as he made his way toward the foyer with a smiling Sean hanging from his neck.

"Hiya, Uncle Jamie!" the boy greeted as he unhooked his hands and landed on the hardwood floor with a loud thump.

"Hey, bud. Happy Thanksgiving," Jamie replied as he carefully slipped out of his jacket, careful not to drop his contribution to the meal.

"What the hell took you so long? Pop just got the turkey out and there's nothing I hate more than a cold bird," Danny complained as he rubbed his sore neck, making note of the fact that Sean was getting too old and too big to carry around on his back, even during a brief bout of horseplay.

"Sorry. We made a collar near the end of shift but not before they tried running off," Jamie explained.

"Hate it when they rabbit...did you get the pie?" Danny inquired as he eyed the pink box his brother was holding. Eager to contribute to the special meal, Danny had instructed Jamie to pick up an apple honey pecan pie from a bakery not far from his apartment. It was a win-win as far as the detective was concerned - Jamie felt useful and Danny got to eat the pie he enjoyed almost every day he was on patrol in the Lower East Side during the few years before he got bumped to detective.

Jamie lifted the dessert. "Right here."

"Good," Danny smiled. "You earned your seat at dinner then."

"Gee, thanks," Jamie replied with an eye roll while walking to the kitchen to join the rest of the family. "Hey, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving." The room erupted in warm exchange of greetings for the last arriving family member.

"Hey, Jamie. You're just in time," Henry said as he lifted the foil he'd tented over the perfectly-golden, oven-roasted turkey to show off the main attraction. He'd remained on guard so that no one - namely Danny - could sneak a piece while the juices had a chance to redistribute.

Frank smiled as Jamie made his way through the kitchen; sometimes he still felt like he needed to pinch himself. "How was tour, son?" he asked as he gathered the carving knife and fork.

"Uneventful mostly, it was good right up until we had to break up a fight between a couple of knuckleheads already in line outside of the Macy's," Jamie advised as he added his pie to the collection of sweets on the table.

"Line cutter?" Linda guessed.

"So one of them said," Jamie confirmed, but paused to sniff the air appreciatively. "Smells great in here," he said as the aromas in the kitchen drew his attention away from unimportant work matters.

"I'll never understand sitting out in the cold to save a few bucks on crap you don't need instead of being at home to enjoy a nice dinner with your family," Henry huffed as he admired his bird, having no desire to be anywhere but here getting ready to carve into it. "You make sure you don't get parade duty next year, young man," he instructed his grandson.

"I think I'm due to get next year off," Jamie said.

"Some people look for any excuse to get away from family," Erin commented as she led Linda and Nicky to the dining room, each one carrying a different side dish.

Danny snuck by Henry and Frank, determined to carry the turkey to the table and, as his grandfather suspected, he hoped to snag a piece of the savory bird after he delivered it. "Are you working on Sunday, Jamie?" he asked as he lifted Henry's prized turkey platter - the one no one in the family believed was gifted to him by Eleanor Roosevelt - and took it into the dining room where the rest of the family was already gathered.

"No," Jamie replied, his eyes widening at the set up as soon as he stepped into the room...there must have been twice as much food on the table than they normally had during the weekly dinners. And a fall themed floral arrangement decorated the center of the table, not to mention that there were actual long tapered candles burning on either end. This was really fancy... _like a Norman Rockwell painting_ , he thought to himself. He could only compare it to the few real Thanksgiving dinners he'd shared with a select few over the years like with his friend Brandon's family and Sydney more recently the year she took him home to Connecticut for the holiday. Sherry's idea of thanksgiving dinner consisted of frozen dinners with pressed turkey meat and fake mashed potatoes. It never bothered him early on when he was too young and had nothing to compare it to, but eventually he grew to understand that her idea of Thanksgiving was seriously lacking.

"If you're up for it, someone offered me tickets to the Jets-Bills game this weekend," Danny said over his shoulder, drawing Jamie back to their conversation.

"Oh, Lord," Linda sighed, knowing the trouble that could start again.

"What about dinner?" Jamie asked. From what he knew so far, it was sacrilege to miss the weekly gathering unless duty called.

"Already cleared it with dad."

"It's a one o'clock game; you can come back here after and have leftovers," Frank confirmed, pleased that his boys were spending time together, although he shared Linda's concerns over this particular activity and wondered which one of them would come home with a scowl on their face...and hopefully nothing more.

"That sounds great, I'm in. Thanks, Danny," Jamie smiled, already looking forward to the game.

"There's just one thing though," Danny warned as he tried sneaking a piece of the breast only to have his hand swatted away by his observant wife.

"What's that?" Jamie asked worriedly at Danny's serious expression.

"Can you not wear any of that Bills crap to the game?" he requested as he rubbed the sore spot on his hand.

Jamie squared his shoulders at the obvious distaste for his Bills. "Why not? They're my team," he defended.

"But you're going to be at a Jets home game, kid. Do you know what they do to fans from the opposing team?" Danny argued as he slid into his seat.

"Things that would normally be deemed illegal," Henry snorted from his side of the table.

"Like what? And what makes it any different?" Jamie asked, wondering what he was getting himself into as he and the others also settled into their places.

"Because you're going into the lion's den! You'll stick out like a sore thumb in your blue and red among a sea of green and white! I can't be seen with that! No one likes a traitor and that's what you'll be in those colors!" Danny griped, disappointed that his brother wasn't willing to leave everything having to do with Buffalo in the past. He wanted to have a good time with the kid but preferred not to have to step in to save his hide from the normally rowdy crowd.

"And you thought this group was bad," Erin snickered as she patted Jamie on the back. "Get ready, little brother."

"I'll take my chances," Jamie proclaimed bravely. It was a football game...how bad could it be?

"So naive," Henry chortled, looking forward to hearing about their outing when they got back to the house.

"There's so much I gotta teach you, kid," Danny muttered under his breath, annoyed that Jamie wouldn't listen without arguing. He really did have a lot to teach the damn kid, he just needed to stop being so damned stubborn.

"Oh, jeez," Jamie frowned.

"Alright, everyone settle down," Frank interrupted before the football rivalry got everyone's emotions hot again. "I don't know about all of you, but I can't wait to carve into this bird."

"I think that's the biggest turkey I've ever seen," Jack commented.

"Me too. You got a bigger one than last year, pop," Nicky added.

"We go an extra mouth to feed," Henry smiled with a pat to Jamie's arm, "plus I got a few leftover turkey recipes I want to try out this year."

"Count me in, whatever they are," Sean said as he licked his lips in anticipation of the meal. He hadn't eaten in hours and his tummy was rumbling.

Frank glanced around the table at each member of the family before they lingered on Jamie. Even with Mary and Joe gone, he was finally at peace. Gone was the constant fear and anxiety over his missing son...the not knowing had always been the worst part of his abduction. "Jamie, this being your first year with us at the Thanksgiving table, you should know that we have a little family tradition. We go around the table before we say grace and share what we're most thankful for this year. Despite the things we've gone through together as a family, it's important to still take the time to focus on the blessings we have, even in those incredibly difficult years after we lost you, your mother and Joe and it seemed impossible to feel thankful for anything with the empty chairs at the dinner table...we've always been blessed with family and our strong faith. While we've never needed to be reminded that we can't control every aspect of our lives, giving thanks does remind us that there is One who has plans for our future and He knows the best path to follow. Now some of us, myself included, may have questioned that path and wondered why it would take so long to get there, but we never gave up hope that we'd be together again. I think we can all agree," Frank paused to admire his family once again as they shook their heads in affirmation, knowing well what Frank would say next, "that today we are all blessed and thankful to have you with us today."

"Hear, hear," the group chanted as they all looked to Jamie while Erin and Linda's eyes grew misty.

"Well said, Francis," Henry choked out as he was overcome with joy at the presence sitting to his left.

Jamie had to take in a breath and blink away the sudden burning in his eyes, feeling the need to say a few words himself. "I'm not sure where I'd be right now if all of you hadn't figured out who I was...probably eating with Renzulli since I wouldn't have been able to pull the wool over his eyes two years in a row," he joked as he considered the conversation he'd had with his TO earlier in the day. "This is the first Thanksgiving that I haven't felt like I'm sitting in the wrong place with the wrong people...it's good to finally be home," he said in a thick voice.

"I think that's worthy of a toast even if we haven't said grace," Henry declared as he lifted his glass and waited for Jamie to do the same and soon enough, the rest followed as the room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses and cheers.

After a sip of his wine, Frank looked back at Jamie. "I think you should do the honors, son," he smiled.

Jamie nodded and bowed his head, taking heed of all of the blessings that had been bestowed upon him this year as he began to recite the short prayer he'd learned here at this very table, "Bless us Oh Lord..."

The End


End file.
